I've Got Your Bar(Back)
A group chat with the 411 on the 305’s bartending community
“Don’t Pee in the Pool.”
What started as a cheeky request for guests attending photographer Anthony Nader’s birthday pool party has become the unconventional name for a popular WhatsApp group chat for hospitality professionals in Miami, which is over 1,000 members strong and growing each day.
“The chat has had a huge influence on Miami’s bartending scene,” says Diego Deleon, Beverage Director and Operations Manager of Kaori in Brickell. “We support each other in everything from sourcing fresh juice last minute to troubleshooting POS systems without calling customer support. It has also fostered a sense of connection across neighborhoods and allowed us to discuss important topics, like pay structures, tip pooling, and liquor pricing.”
Conversations are happening at all hours of the day. Bartenders send warm invites to their events, post about job openings, request travel advice, and give helpful insights into upcoming competitions.
“The best part of the chat is knowing that local support is always just a message away. The community comes together quickly to help each other.”
Deleon also mentions that several offshoot group chats have started, thanks to the success of the now-bloated original. In fact, there are admins who actively monitor content to make sure it aligns with the goals and guidelines of the group, and remove inactive members to make way for new participants after hitting the 1,024-group member limit on WhatsApp.
Sexy Fish bartender Mitchel Bauer started one for the Brickell and nearby Calle Ocho neighborhoods—with over 500 active members—during a particularly stressful shift managing a small local bar.
“I was frantically trying to prepare and ensure the bar was set up and ready for service,” says Bauer. “There’s always curveballs thrown at us within the industry and our day-to-day operations, and I realized that, within my own neighborhood, I was not connected to, and familiar with, those running and working concepts nearby.”
For those interested in bringing similar chats to their cities, Deleon suggests that founders establish a clear purpose for their group and set reasonable rules from the start. “Have a trusted team of admins to maintain order,” he says. “If rapid growth is the goal, allow members to invite others at first, but eventually, shifting to invite-only makes the group feel more prestigious and manageable. To keep engagement high, requiring participation is a good strategy.”
Bauer puts it a bit more simply: “At the end of the day, if you wanna do something like this, all you have to do is reach out to those around you, and start doing cool stuff with cool people.”
