How Many Bartenders Do You Need for 150 Guests?

To understand the number of bartenders you will need, you have to start by evaluating the drinks offered, the venue layout, and the number of attendees.

However, according to experts, if you are looking to have around 150 guests at your event, it’s best that you have at least three bartenders and one bareback. Nevertheless, note that most venues will recommend having 1 bartender for every 75 – 100 guests.

Owing to that, there is certainly the case of having 2 – 3 bartenders for a guest list of 100 – 150. The job of bartending is not as easy as most people tend to assume.

Note that an average bartender will be able to serve around 60 – 90 drinks per hour. This will most often depend on the types of drinks being served, as a simple beer and wine-only bar will move much more quickly than a full bar with an assortment of drinks.

In addition, the more drinks that are available, the longer it will take for guests to make a decision on what they want; all adding to the time.

Factors That Determine the Number of Bartenders You Need for An Event

Regardless of the sort of event you are putting together, keep in mind that having enough bartenders and an appropriately set up bar is very important to ensure that your drinks will go out quickly. Nevertheless, here are factors to take into account to ensure you have the right bartender-to-guest ratio.

1. Beer & Wine vs. Signature Drinks vs. Full Bar

Just as was noted above, this is one of the primary factors that will determine the number of bartenders you will need. Although beer and wine can be poured quickly, note that once you have a full bar, it will take much more time to serve each guest.

As such, it so recommended you put up a limited bar as well as signature drinks to ensure that guests can make their choices quickly and not be overwhelmed with the choices.

If you intend to work with a beer and wine bar, then consider 1 bartender per 90 guests as beers can be opened quickly and wines are poured fast.

If you intend to make available a limited bar with signature drinks, one bartender per 75 guests is ideal to ensure that everything runs smoothly. However, if you intend to work with a full bar, then it is ideal to position one bartender per 35 guests.

2. Light Drinkers vs. Heavy Drinkers

Your decision will most often depend on how many drinks a bartender can make per hour. According to experts, you should envisage that your guests will visit the bar on average once per hour (maybe more often in the beginning and less as the event winds down).

Nonetheless, if you know that your guests are heavy drinkers and they might probably be spending most of the night at the bar, it is imperative to have the appropriate number of bartenders to make those drinks.

For instance, if you have 150 guests and they are heavy drinkers, the bartenders will be making about 1,125 drinks (or more) as against the standard 750 drinks during a 5-hour window.

3. Budget

Another thing you need to take into consideration when evaluating the number of bartenders you need is your budget. Bartenders are tasked with a lot more than just serving drinks, and will most often have to get deeply involved with getting your bar set up and breaking down the whole apparatus afterward. For a four-hour reception, you’re probably looking at seven hours of paid work from your bartenders.

Conclusion

Deciding on the number of bartenders you need for an event is very critical as it is one of those factors that determine the coordination of your event.

Although 75 guests per bartender is considered the standard, note that there are other factors to take into account to ensure you have a joyful event. The types of drinks you offer, the style and layout of the bar, as well as your budget are all things to consider.

Howbeit, while it may cost you a little more to have an additional bartender, ensuring a free-flowing bar where no one has to deal with long lines is in many ways worth the expense.