A lot has changed about the Fort Worth bar scene over the last 20 years. Establishments have come and gone like the wind — some shutting down before you can even say, “another round, please.” Remember Lola’s, anyone?
We sat down with the head bartender at one of FTW’s most popular bars — someone with 22 years in the industry — and asked them to give us the inside scoop on the current state of the city’s bar scene.
Editor’s note: Verbiage has been edited for brevity.
Q: How has the industry changed within the last 20 years?
A: Consumers have learned a lot. They want to know what’s going into their food and their drinks. Everyone is now more concerned with what they’re putting in their bodies as well as ‘if I’m gonna spend my money on this, I want it to be worth it.’
Q: What are the biggest challenges you face as a bartender in Fort Worth today?
A: I have friends around town who say guest behavior is still very much a challenge. And rising costs — because it’s from every angle. Rent is going up. The cost of the bottle is going up. The cost of lemons is going up. Literally everything you can think of is going up.
Q: How do you really feel about the espresso martini?
A: I won’t lie — I was a little salty when the craze started to happen. So what we did was we ended up getting really nerdy about it and trying to make the best espresso martini. What that has allowed us to do is to have a conversation where maybe we switch it up and use something that we find personally more interesting than vodka.
Q: Have you ever received a bad review?
A: Of course (laughter). The handful of times that it’s gotten to me have been when someone questions my integrity.
Q: Have you ever made a cocktail for anyone famous?
A: Emilio Estevez came in here one night. Harrison Ford walked in and walked right back out. Wasn’t his vibe, I guess.
Q: Let’s talk about tipping culture. Do Fort Worthians tip well?
A: Ooof — okay. Fort Worthians tip, but I think that even people who aren’t broke are feeling a little broke right now, just given the state of everything.
Q: What neighborhoods are thriving right now?
A: South Main, Magnolia, and from what I hear, the Stockyards seem to be doing really well. Fort Worth has grown so much, it’s hard to say any area isn’t thriving.
Q: Do you see more collaboration between bars or competition?
A: Collaboration. It is one of the things that is so fun about the bar scene here — all the bartenders are homies.
Q: Would you say it’s easy to open or run a bar right now in Fort Worth?
A: No, absolutely [explicit] not.
Q: If you could give incoming bartenders in Fort Worth one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: You never know who is sitting across the bar from you. Fort Worth is, at its heart, a small town. You can ruin your career with one bad comment.
Q: What do you wish consumers knew about mixology or the craft bar industry here?
A: I wish that consumers felt more empowered to ask questions and give us a chance to show off a little bit of that knowledge that we’ve worked so much on.
Curious about another field? What industry would you like us to pull back the curtain on next?
