Bar Team Training and Custom SOPs
Standardise your cocktails, train your team and make peak service smoother and more profitable.
We focus on real service conditions: the drinks you actually sell, the stations your team actually use, and the standards you want to protect as you grow. For new openings or relaunch projects, we can also help you design practical station layouts, tools and equipment lists, backbar setup and prep systems so your team is ready before day one.
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Format: 2–4 on-site sessions
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Team size: up to 6–8 bartenders
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Where: Kuala Lumpur & Southeast Asia
This is for you if…
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You have changed staff often and drinks have become inconsistent.
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Ticket times on peak nights are slower than you would like.
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Your classics and signatures are not written anywhere or are followed loosely.
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You want new bartenders to become productive faster, with less supervision.
Key outcomes
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Consistent classics and signatures, with agreed specs that everyone can follow. Faster ticket times on peak nights, with less stress for the team.
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Clear station set-up and prep routines that support speed and hygiene.
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A practical training framework you can keep using with new staff.
What’s included
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On-site assessment of your current bar set-up, or new opening plan, plus menu and team workflow.
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Tailored training sessions (theory, tasting and hands-on practice) for your bar team.
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Standardised recipes for your core classics and signatures, aligned with your concept and GP targets.
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Station set-up maps, prep and batching notes, hygiene and opening/closing checklists.
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Simple SOPs for service sequence, communication on peak nights and quality checks.
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Optional refresher sessions or “train the trainer” coaching for your senior bartenders.
Faqs
How the Bar Training & SOPs programme works
This programme is designed for hotel bars, cocktail bars and restaurant bars that want more consistent drinks, faster service on busy nights and a clearer way of training new staff. It works whether you already have a cocktail list in place or are rebuilding your offer from scratch.
Each project is tailored, but a typical training covers: station and prep-area set-up, hygiene and organisation, core tools and techniques, your classics and signatures (with agreed specs), service sequence, communication during peak hours, and how to use the new SOPs and checklists on shift.
Yes. For new openings or relaunches we can support you with tools and equipment lists, spirits and mixer range, backbar and station layout, SOPs and staff training, so your team is ready before the first night of service.
In most cases we start by standardising the classics and signatures you already sell, so they are consistent and easier to train. If needed, we can also refine specs, adjust recipes or add a small set of new cocktails that better fit your concept, GP targets and team skill level.
Most venues book a block of sessions over 2–4 weeks. A common format is 2–4 sessions of 2–3 hours each, depending on team size and how many cocktails we standardise. For new openings or larger teams, we can extend the programme and add follow-up refreshers.
Where possible, training is scheduled outside peak service so your team can focus and practise without pressure. If closing the bar is not realistic, we can split the programme: theory and tastings off-shift, then shorter “on-the-floor” coaching during quieter service periods.
The programme works best with up to 6–8 bartenders and bar backs at a time, so everyone can shake, stir and taste. For larger teams we can run multiple groups or a “train the trainer” format, where your senior bartenders are coached to keep the standards alive.
Yes. For many venues it is useful to include a short session for floor staff and supervisors, focused on key cocktails, selling points, and how to read the new specs and checklists. This makes it easier to upsell, run smoother peak service and support the bar team during busy nights.
Before the first session I ask for your current menu, any existing specs or recipes, a rough breakdown of top-selling drinks, and your usual rota. If possible, a quick walk-through or call about your bar layout and equipment helps tailor the training and SOPs to how your venue actually operates.
Training is delivered in clear, practical English. If some team members are less confident, we keep language simple, focus on demonstration and repetition, and work with your senior staff to reinforce key points in their own language on shift.
You receive written cocktail specs, prep and batching notes, station set-up maps, checklists and SOPs that your team can use from the next shift. Where useful, there is also a simple training log so you can track who has been trained on which drinks and tasks.
I am based in Kuala Lumpur and work regularly across Southeast Asia. On-site training outside KL is possible and simply adds travel and accommodation to the project fee. For some follow-up sessions we can also use online calls if that works better for your team.
Investment depends on the size of your team, how many cocktails we standardise, and whether travel is involved. After a short call and a bar snapshot, you receive a clear proposal with scope, number of sessions and a total project fee, so you know exactly what you are committing to.
Ready to talk?
If you manage a hotel, cocktail bar or restaurant bar and want more consistent drinks, stronger margins and a calmer peak service, we can start with a quick call and a simple bar snapshot. From there I will send you 1–2 concrete options for a Bar Training & SOPs project based on your venue, team and budget.