If you’re going to belly up to a bar during COVID, don’t be a jerk to the bartender.

Editor’s note: On Jan. 6, Gov. Roy Cooper extended North Carolina’s safer-at-home order through 5 p.m. Jan. 29 and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, urged residents to stay home unless they are going to work, school, to exercise, to attend to health care needs or to get groceries. Our suggestion: Get your growler filled or buy canned local beers or a cocktail to go to enjoy at home.

On a recent Friday evening, I treated myself to a beer at a well-known Charlotte brewery after a long week. I was alone, so I spent a lot of time observing the crowd.

OK, fine. I was people-watching. I saw people with dogs of all sizes come in and order a drink. I witnessed awkward first encounters of what I assume were Hinge dates. I saw people grab beers to take home with them and saw people sit and stay a while — all normal brewery activity.

As I was sitting there, I watched as one customer approached the bar without a face mask, even though the brewery had signs everywhere stating this was a requirement. The employee working behind the bar politely asked the customer to put on a face covering, and the customer responded with outrage, causing a scene.

Sadly, I wish I could say this was the first time I have seen someone treat their bartender with blatant disrespect, COVID-19 or not. Yes, there are more rules now. Yes, going out to eat and drink looks a lot different. Tension is arguably at an all-time high in our society these days. However, taking out your stress on people working in the service and hospitality industries is ill-advised, to say the least.

Since we are staying at home, this is easy to miss

Many of us are staying at home during COVID-19, avoiding visiting our local restaurants or breweries except for the occasional takeout order or growler refill. So we might have missed the fact that our local bartenders, many of whom faced furloughs and potential job loss last year, are expected to also serve as mask police.

It’s not an easy job for any of Charlotte’s retail employees, but it’s arguably even more difficult for those dealing with people who have had a couple of drinks.

In addition, it’s not the bars doing it right and following the rules that make the spotlight. It is the businesses doing it wrong that are earning a bad reputation — not just for themselves, but for everyone. The handful of flagrant fouls are what have gained social media attention, Public Health Director Gibbie Harris told reporters in December.

So, how are things going for our local bartenders during all of this?

To shed some light, I sat down with a few of the people behind the bar to ask them how we can make their lives a bit easier. Here is how they say you can be a good customer during the global coronavirus pandemic:

(1) Follow the rules

Why this may seem like a no-brainer, mandates and guidelines have a history of changing in a moment’s notice. Will Dawson of Wooden Robot offers a simple tip: Read the signs.

“I know there are a million signs everywhere with information, but take the time and do a little observance of everything around you when you walk into a place,” Dawson said. “Because the NC Craft Brewers Guild went to bat with the governor to get breweries open with Phase 2, we feel it’s our duty to follow guidelines and operate with social integrity.”

North Carolina is under a mask mandate, which you should be used to by now: It has been in place since June 24. This controversial piece of fabric is a requirement for North Carolina businesses to keep their doors open. Dawson urges customers to be mindful of this rule. “We ask that you just wear your mask when you come up to the bar,” he said.

“We are trying to follow specific guidelines just so we can have the luxury of being open,” said Marques Nash, general manager of Sugar Creek Brewing Company.

“We all know masks are exhausting, but they are a necessary evil. No one wants something clinging to their face all day long, but we do it simply so we can come to work, do our job, provide for our families and hope to make it through the other end of this,” Nash said. “We simply just want to do our job, and to do that, we have to have our masks on all day.”

Amanda Gibbons, mixologist and bar manager at Cordial, noted one of the biggest issues she has seen lately is customers’ responses to being told “no.” Gibbons said customers have cursed at her and called her names at least once a week.

“Right now, the hospitality industry is struggling so much to survive and is super dependent on people following rules,” Gibbons said. “It’s not just to keep our staff safe and ourselves safe, but if people really think of the economic impact and want to go out and want to be social, we are all just trying to make that happen safely.”

(2) Have your payment and ID ready

Human interactions need to be efficient when one is trying to avoid viral exposures. “If you look like you are not 40 years old, just have your ID ready to rock n’ roll,” Nash said. “It is an extra step, and an extra question and that takes time. With COVID, we really need to be prepared to be in and out so people aren’t waiting and lines aren’t growing and people aren’t gathering.”

While you’re at it, having your payment method ready is another good way to expedite the process, Dawson said.

(3) Don’t ask your bartender to flash you a smile

I thought I’d witnessed the worst kind of disrespect during the coronavirus pandemic, but this one surprised even me. Gibbons said she has had several customers ask her to pull her mask down to show them a smile, even though she is required to wear a mask during her entire shift for safety reasons.

“This is the equivalent of us, during COVID times, of me flashing you,” Gibbons said.

(4) Be patient and adaptable

More rules mean more steps to keep everyone safe, and not all bars, breweries and restaurants operate the same way.

“That is probably frustrating and confusing for a lot of customers, but a lot of it has to do with how a physical space is set up,” Dawson said. “I think right now people value their convenience more than they value other people’s situations.”

Don’t be offended if different businesses have different safety procedures, Gibbons said. Also, it’s important to be adaptable not only from place to place but from bartender to bartender.

(5) Read the room

Bartenders are known to be the party starters. However, now because of more guidelines, they have to put their party hat slightly to the side to make sure everyone is staying safe and that all rules are followed. As customers, it is important to understand this role shift to make it easier for the person serving you.

“Our role has always been the host of the party, and now we are having to act more like the fun police,” Dawson said. “That has been a challenging part, and not one that I enjoy, and I think I speak for the rest of my coworkers.”

(6) Tip — a lot

At the end of the day, we are all human. We are all experiencing and enduring our own battles. What if we could help lift the burden off of someone else’s shoulders?

Most service industry employees have endured extended periods of unemployment during this past year. Even though many businesses have carefully reopened their doors, Friday and Saturday night crowds are not what they used to be.

Fewer interactions with customers mean less opportunity to make tips, so be mindful when you close out your tab. That 20 percent tip isn’t cutting it anymore.

“We try so hard to make a fun atmosphere where people can come and relax, but there may be a minute or two we just need a breather,” Gibbons said. “Consider what someone’s night looked like before you came in and demanded a dozen shots.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 10:49 AM.

Jennings Cool

The Charlotte Observer