How to Use the Bar Supervisor One-to-One Template

Why structured bar supervisor one-to-ones matter

Your bar supervisor sits in one of the hardest positions in hospitality — they're no longer just a bartender but they're not yet a manager. They're expected to lead people who were recently their peers, make decisions during service while still making drinks, and maintain standards without always having the authority to enforce them. When they're thriving, your bar runs smoothly during their shifts and your bartenders feel supported. When they're struggling, shifts feel chaotic, the team resents their authority, and they retreat to bartending because it feels safer.

The challenge is that bar supervisors rarely get dedicated development time. They're scheduled as working supervisors, spending most of their shift behind the bar with supervisory responsibilities layered on top. Without structured one-to-ones, you'll only discover they're struggling when a shift goes wrong — or when they tell you they've accepted a bartending job elsewhere because it was less stressful.

This template structures your weekly conversations around the areas that matter most for bar supervisor performance and retention. Each section builds on the last: preparation gives you context, their agenda shows you what's on their mind, the discussion sections cover role performance, team dynamics, growth, and wellbeing, and the engagement indicators give you an early-warning system for disengagement.

Preparation

Complete these steps before each meeting to ensure a focused and productive conversation. Arriving prepared shows your bar supervisor that you take this time seriously.

Review notes from previous one-to-one — Pull up the notes from your last session. What actions did you commit to? What did they commit to? If you promised to clarify their authority on staff issues or agreed to observe them during a busy shift, check whether you followed through. Supervisors are watching whether you practice what you preach about follow-through.

Check recent performance data or feedback — Review how their shifts performed: revenue, pour costs, any incidents or complaints. Check feedback from bartenders who worked under them — not formal feedback, but what you've heard informally. Did the team seem well-managed? Were there any issues during their shifts that wouldn't have happened under the bar manager?

Note any observations from the past week — Think about what you've noticed during their shifts. Did they step up during a rush or retreat to bartending? Did they handle a staffing problem well? Did you see them correcting a bartender's technique or letting standards slip? Write down two or three specific observations before the meeting.

Send agenda prompt to employee ahead of time — Text them before their shift: "Catching up tomorrow at 5. Anything from the last few days you want to cover?" Bar supervisors are often processing leadership challenges they haven't fully articulated yet. Giving them notice helps them think rather than react. If they reply "all good," try: "How did Saturday night feel from your position — not behind the bar, but running it?"

Customisation tips:

• Weekly meetings are essential for bar supervisors — they're developing leadership skills that need regular coaching
• 15-20 minutes is the right length. Keep it focused and practical
• Meet at a quiet table, not behind the bar or in an office. The setting should feel like a coaching conversation, not a disciplinary
• For newly promoted supervisors in their first three months, consider twice-weekly check-ins until they find their feet

Their Agenda

Start every one-to-one by asking: "What's been on your mind?" Record whatever they raise before covering your own items.

Bar supervisors often sit on concerns about authority, team dynamics, and role clarity that they don't raise during shifts because they're too busy. If they say "nothing really," don't fill the silence immediately. Count to five. Many supervisors are still adjusting to the idea that they can raise problems rather than just solving them.

If they still don't open up, offer a specific prompt: "What was the most challenging moment on your last busy shift — not the busiest, but the one where you felt most unsure?" This targets the leadership uncertainty that supervisors often experience but rarely voice.

Once they're talking, ask "What else?" until they run out. Don't jump to solutions or tell them what they should have done. This section is about understanding their world, not correcting it.

What to record: Their exact concerns in their own words. Don't paraphrase into management language — "I didn't know if I was allowed to send someone home early" captures reality better than "discussed authority boundaries."

Role Performance

These four questions are designed to uncover how their shifts are really running from the supervisor's perspective. Work through each one during the conversation and tick it off as you cover it.

"On Saturday night, how much of your time was spent supervising versus bartending? What's the ratio feeling like?"

This is the central tension of the bar supervisor role. Most supervisors default to bartending because it's comfortable and immediate — they can see the impact of making a drink but not the impact of managing a shift. A good ratio depends on how busy the bar is, but if they're spending 80% of their time behind the bar on a busy night, they're not supervising. This question surfaces whether they're leading or just working.

What good answers sound like:

• Can estimate the ratio honestly and reflects on whether it's right
• Identifies specific moments where they stepped out to supervise
• Recognises when they got pulled back into bartending and why

What to do with the answer: If the ratio is too heavily weighted toward bartending, discuss what would help them step back — clearer expectations, better staffing, or permission to not be behind the bar. If they're choosing bartending because supervision feels uncomfortable, that's a development conversation.

"Walk me through how you ran the shift handover. What did you cover and how did it land?"

Handovers reveal supervisory quality. A strong supervisor briefs the incoming team on what happened, what's outstanding, what needs attention, and any guest or stock issues. A weak supervisor leaves notes or says "it was fine." This question surfaces whether they're thinking about continuity and communication.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes specific information they passed on and how
• Reflects on whether the incoming team had what they needed
• Identifies improvements to the handover process

What to do with the answer: If handovers are weak, work with them on a structure. What five things should every handover cover? Practice it. If handovers are strong, acknowledge it — it's a genuine leadership skill that's easy to overlook.

"When something went wrong this week — a mistake, a delay, a guest issue — how did you handle it in the moment?"

This reveals their instinct under pressure. Do they take charge, delegate, and communicate? Or do they freeze, do it themselves, or pass it to someone else? Real-time problem-solving is the core supervisory skill, and it only develops through reflection. The question isn't whether things went wrong — they always do — but how they responded.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes a specific incident with honest self-assessment
• Explains their decision-making process, not just the outcome
• Identifies what they'd do differently next time

What to do with the answer: If they handled it well, reinforce what worked. If they struggled, walk through the situation together — what information did they have, what options existed, what would you have done? Don't criticise; coach.

"How's the bar setup working? Are the systems you've inherited making sense, or would you change things?"

This question tests operational thinking. A supervisor who accepts every system without question isn't engaging critically with the operation. One who has opinions about station layout, prep lists, or closing procedures is thinking about efficiency and improvement. The answer tells you whether they're passively running shifts or actively trying to make them better.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific systems or setups and explains what works or doesn't
• Connects operational observations to service outcomes
• Suggests practical changes rather than just complaining

What to do with the answer: If they have good ideas, let them implement one. Ownership of a small operational change builds confidence and shows you trust their judgement. If they haven't thought about it, prompt them: "If you were setting up the bar from scratch, what would you do differently?"

Record the key points from your discussion, focusing on the supervision-to-bartending balance, leadership moments, and operational thinking. Note specific shifts or incidents they referenced — these are valuable evidence for performance reviews.

Team and Relationships

These questions surface the dynamics that affect leadership effectiveness — team management, peer transitions, feedback delivery, and handling challenges to authority.

"Who on the team needs the most attention from you right now? Who's strong, who's struggling?"

This reveals whether they're paying attention to their team as individuals rather than just managing shifts. A good supervisor notices who's quietly struggling, who needs more challenge, and who's about to disengage. If they only focus on the strongest or weakest team member, they're missing the middle — where most of the team sits.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific individuals with context for why they need attention
• Distinguishes between different types of attention — support, challenge, correction
• Shows they're thinking proactively rather than just reacting to problems

What to do with the answer: Validate their assessment and discuss priorities. If they've correctly identified someone who needs support, help them plan the conversation. If they're missing something you've noticed, share it gently as additional context.

"How's the dynamic with [bartender who was a peer]? Is the authority shift working?"

The peer-to-leader transition is the hardest part of becoming a supervisor. Former peers may test boundaries, resist direction, or undermine authority subtly. This question opens a conversation about a challenge that supervisors rarely raise unprompted because it feels like admitting weakness.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about whether the relationship has shifted successfully
• Identifies specific moments where the dynamic felt awkward or difficult
• Shows they're addressing it rather than avoiding it

What to do with the answer: If the transition is going well, acknowledge the work it takes. If it's struggling, discuss strategies — separate the professional from the personal, be consistent, address issues promptly rather than letting them build. If necessary, offer to have a conversation with the bartender about respecting the new structure.

"When you need to give feedback to a bartender — correcting a pour, fixing a technique, addressing lateness — how does that go?"

Giving feedback is the skill that separates supervisors from bartenders. Many new supervisors avoid it because they don't want conflict, or they deliver it so softly that it doesn't land. This question surfaces whether they can have direct conversations about standards and performance.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes specific feedback situations with honest self-assessment
• Reflects on how the feedback was received
• Identifies where they feel confident and where they struggle

What to do with the answer: If they're avoiding feedback, role-play scenarios with them. "If I'm pouring 35ml instead of 25ml, what do you say to me?" Practice makes it less daunting. If they're good at technical feedback but avoid behavioural feedback (lateness, attitude), that's a specific development area.

"Has anyone on the team challenged your authority or pushed back on something you asked? How did you handle it?"

Authority challenges are inevitable for new supervisors. The question is how they respond — do they escalate, confront, avoid, or handle it with confidence? If nobody has challenged them, that's worth exploring too — are they not asserting themselves enough to be challenged?

What good answers sound like:

• Describes a specific challenge and their response
• Shows self-awareness about whether their response was effective
• Asks for guidance on handling future situations

What to do with the answer: If they handled it well, reinforce the approach. If they struggled, discuss what happened and explore alternatives. If they're not being challenged, ask whether they're giving enough direction — a supervisor who never asks anyone to do anything differently won't face pushback, but they're not supervising either.

Capture the team dynamics discussed, any peer-to-leader challenges, and their development in giving feedback. Note specific relationships that need monitoring — these are critical for their growth as a leader.

Growth and Development

These questions explore career aspirations and development needs. The answers shape how you invest in your bar supervisor's growth.

"Do you see yourself moving toward bar management, or do you prefer the hybrid of supervising and bartending?"

There's no wrong answer, but the answer changes everything about how you develop them. A supervisor who wants to be a bar manager needs commercial exposure — GP analysis, stock control, roster management, supplier meetings. One who prefers the hybrid role needs mastery goals — advanced cocktail skills, training qualifications, senior supervisor responsibilities. Both paths have value.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about what they enjoy and where they want to be
• Shows they understand the difference between the two paths
• Specific about what attracts them to their chosen direction

What to do with the answer: If they want management, start exposing them to the commercial side. Let them run a stocktake, review a P&L, or sit in on a supplier meeting. If they prefer supervising, invest in their craft and coaching skills.

"What's the hardest part of supervising for you right now? Where do you feel least confident?"

This surfaces their honest self-assessment. Common answers include giving feedback, making decisions under pressure, managing former peers, and balancing bartending with leadership. Whatever they name is your priority development area — because they'll avoid it until they're helped through it.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific rather than saying "nothing" or "everything"
• Shows vulnerability and willingness to develop
• Connects the challenge to real situations they've faced

What to do with the answer: Create a plan to build confidence in the area they name. If it's giving feedback, role-play it. If it's decision-making, give them scenarios to work through. If it's managing former peers, discuss specific strategies. Development happens through practice, not just conversation.

"If you were fully in charge of the bar for a week and I was away, what would worry you most?"

This reveals their awareness of what they don't yet know. A supervisor who says "nothing" either has excellent confidence or poor self-awareness. One who names specific concerns — ordering, dealing with a staffing crisis, handling a complaint to a senior level — is showing you exactly where they need development before they can step up.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific operational areas they'd feel uncertain about
• Shows they've thought about the scope of bar management beyond shift supervision
• Asks questions about how things work rather than just worrying

What to do with the answer: If their concerns are addressable through exposure, arrange it. Let them shadow the ordering process, sit in on a complaint handling, or manage a quieter shift with full autonomy. Build confidence through experience.

"Where do you see yourself in a year? Here, somewhere else, doing something different?"

The honest answer to this question is the most valuable piece of information in the entire one-to-one. If they're planning to leave, you can plan for replacement and make their remaining time positive. If they want to grow, you can build the path. If they're uncertain, you have an opportunity to influence their decision.

What good answers sound like:

• Genuine honesty rather than what they think you want to hear
• Specific enough to be actionable
• Willing to have the conversation rather than deflecting

What to do with the answer: Don't react emotionally. If they want to leave, ask what would make them stay. If they want to progress, show them the path. If they don't know, help them think through it.

Record their career direction, development interests, and the specific areas where they feel least confident. This feeds directly into performance review objectives and helps you plan coaching priorities.

Wellbeing and Support

These questions catch frustration, authority constraints, and workload balance before they cause burnout or resignation. Ask them genuinely, not as a box-ticking exercise.

"What's the single most frustrating thing about supervising right now? If you could fix one thing by next week, what would it be?"

This cuts through politeness to their top priority. Whatever they name is the thing most likely to make them step back to bartending if it's not addressed. Common frustrations include unclear authority, no time to supervise because they're always behind the bar, and former peers who don't respect the role change.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and fixable rather than vague dissatisfaction
• Trusts you enough to be honest about genuine frustrations
• Differentiates between temporary annoyances and persistent problems

What to do with the answer: Fix it if you can. If you can't, explain why and offer a realistic timeline. Either way, respond within a few days — speed of response matters more than the outcome.

"Do you feel like you have enough authority to do your job? Can you make decisions and have them stick?"

Authority is the most common frustration for bar supervisors. If bartenders ignore their instructions, if they can't make decisions about standards without checking with the manager, or if their calls get overridden, they'll disengage from the supervisory part of their role and retreat to bartending.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about where authority feels adequate and where it's undermined
• Examples of decisions they've made and whether they were supported
• Honest about situations where they felt powerless

What to do with the answer: Clarify their authority explicitly and publicly. If they can send someone on break, correct a pour, or refuse a late bartender's excuse, make that clear to the whole team — not just to the supervisor. Authority that only exists in private doesn't work.

"How's the balance between supervision responsibilities and your own bartending shifts? Is it sustainable?"

Many bar supervisors work the same bartending shifts as before with supervision added on top. This question checks whether the workload is realistic. If they're bartending a full section AND supervising AND doing closing paperwork, something has to give — usually the supervision.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about whether the dual role is manageable
• Identifies specific shifts or tasks where the balance breaks down
• Suggests what would help rather than just complaining

What to do with the answer: If the balance is wrong, adjust it. Can they have shifts where they supervise without a full station? Can admin tasks be done outside service? Can the rota give them space to lead? A supervisor who's always behind the bar is a bartender with extra paperwork.

"Is there anything you need from me that you're not getting?"

This directly asks whether you're doing your job as their leader. Whatever they say, write it down. Then deliver on it or explain why you can't — within days, not at the next one-to-one.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and actionable rather than vague
• Trusts you enough to ask for something
• Acknowledges what you're already doing well alongside the gap

What to do with the answer: Deliver on it. Fast. If you make commitments and don't follow through, trust disappears and future one-to-ones become surface-level exercises.

Record energy levels, frustrations, and support requests. Flag anything that suggests they're retreating from the supervisory role — these notes are critical early-warning signs that need action.

Engagement Indicators

These are observational indicators you assess based on what you've seen during the week, not questions you ask directly. Tick each indicator that's genuinely present. Anything you can't tick is worth exploring — either in this meeting or through closer observation before the next one.

Taking more bartending shifts than supervision duties — Watch the ratio. A supervisor who volunteers for bartending shifts but avoids supervision responsibilities is retreating to their comfort zone. This is the strongest early signal that the role transition isn't working. It's worth noting that this indicator is reversed — you tick it if they're NOT doing this. If they are gravitating toward bartending over supervision, don't tick it and explore why.

Actively raising team concerns and operational problems — Are they bringing issues to you proactively, or do you only hear about problems after they've escalated? A supervisor who flags concerns early is engaged with their leadership role. One who stays silent is either disengaged or doesn't feel safe raising issues.

Maintaining standards and correcting mistakes — Are they holding the team to standards during their shifts? Do they correct pours, address presentation, and enforce procedures? Or are they letting things slide to avoid confrontation? A supervisor who stops correcting mistakes has either given up or never fully committed to the role.

Prioritising team leadership over team friendship — Are they making professional decisions even when they're unpopular? Can they hold a former peer accountable without it becoming personal? The friendship-to-leadership transition is gradual, but a supervisor who consistently chooses friendship over standards needs support.

Engaging positively about other bars and opportunities — Do they talk about the industry with curiosity, visit other bars, and bring ideas back? Or have they stopped engaging with the wider bar world? Supervisors who are invested in their craft stay curious.

Accepting development and training opportunities — Do they engage with learning opportunities, pursue certifications, or ask for coaching? Or do they decline everything? A supervisor who's still investing in their development is planning a future in leadership.

Note which indicators you couldn't tick and what you've observed. If multiple indicators are absent, this supervisor needs urgent attention — increase frequency to twice-weekly and focus on understanding what's changed.

Actions and Follow-Up

At the end of every one-to-one, summarise what you've both agreed to do. Say it out loud before you finish:

"So by next week I'm going to: [your actions]. And you're going to: [their actions]. Is that right?"

Then send a brief text confirming: "From today: I'm sorting [X] + [Y]. You're working on [Z]. Chat next [day] at [time]."

What to record:

• Your commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Clarify authority on breaks with full team by Thursday")
• Their commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Run handover briefing at every shift change this week")
• Any items to escalate to the bar manager
• Topics to revisit next time

Follow-through matters more than anything else in this template. If you promise to clarify their authority and then don't, you've undermined the very thing they need most. Supervisors are watching whether their leaders are reliable — model the behaviour you want from them.

Session Notes

Record your overall impressions from the conversation: patterns you're noticing, changes in their confidence or leadership engagement, anything you want to revisit in future sessions.

This is also where you note how your approach should adapt:

• First 3 months: Heavy coaching. Focus on the peer-to-leader transition, authority building, and basic supervisory skills. Meet weekly without exception.
• Established relationship: Push into development territory. Operational ownership, commercial awareness, leadership of difficult conversations.
• When things are going well: Give them more autonomy, involve them in operational decisions, acknowledge their growth publicly.
• When things are struggling: Increase frequency, ask diagnostic questions, observe their shifts more closely. Support rather than criticise.

Over time, these session notes create a narrative of their leadership development — invaluable for performance reviews and promotion decisions.

What's next

Once you've established regular one-to-ones, the conversations you have will feed directly into formal performance reviews. See our guide on Bar Supervisor performance reviews for how to use the evidence you gather in these sessions to write a thorough, fair assessment.

• Read our Bar Supervisor job description for the full scope of responsibilities
• Check out our Bar Supervisor onboarding guide if you're supporting someone in their first 90 days
• See our Bar Supervisor interview questions if you're hiring for this role