How to Use the Barback One-to-One Template

Why structured barback one-to-ones matter

Your barback is the engine room of your bar operation. When they're on top of their game, bartenders never run out of ice, glasses appear before they're needed, and the bar stays clean even during the busiest service. When they're struggling, bartenders leave their stations to restock, service slows down, and the floor fills up with dirty glasses that nobody's collecting.

The challenge is that barbacks are often overlooked for development conversations. They work physically demanding shifts, they're usually the youngest or newest team members, and their role is defined by what they prevent rather than what they create. Without structured one-to-ones, you'll only discover they're unhappy when they stop showing up — or when they tell you they've found a bartending job somewhere that actually invested in them.

This template structures your weekly conversations around the areas that matter most for barback 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 barback that you take this time seriously — which matters more than you think for a role that often feels invisible.

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 fix the broken ice machine or agreed to schedule them for a bartending taster shift, check whether you followed through. Barbacks notice when promises aren't kept — they're used to being bottom of the priority list.

Check recent performance data or feedback — Ask bartenders how the support was during recent shifts. Was restocking smooth? Were there any moments where they ran out of something critical? Did the barback anticipate needs or just react? This informal feedback is your primary data source for a role that doesn't show up in POS reports.

Note any observations from the past week — Think about what you've noticed during service. Did they keep up during Saturday's rush? Were they standing around during a quiet period or finding useful work? Did you see them learning — watching bartenders, asking questions, practising techniques? 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 at 5 before service. Anything from the weekend I should know about?" Barbacks aren't used to being asked their opinion — giving them advance notice helps them prepare rather than being caught off guard. If they reply "all good," try: "What was the hardest moment of Saturday night for you?"

Customisation tips:

• Weekly meetings are essential — barbacks are often early-career and need regular support
• 10 minutes is enough for a focused check-in. Keep it brief and practical
• Stand near the bar, not in an office. Offices feel formal and intimidating for junior team members
• For barbacks in their first month, daily five-minute check-ins work better than weekly meetings

Their Agenda

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

Barbacks often feel their concerns aren't important enough to raise. They might be frustrated about something but assume "that's just the job." If they say "nothing," don't fill the silence immediately. Count to five. Then try a specific opener: "What's the most annoying part of your shift right now?" Everyone has one — and the word "annoying" gives them permission to say something they might feel is too small for a formal question.

Once they're talking, ask "What else?" until they run out. Don't dismiss small concerns — what seems minor to you might be the thing that's making them dread coming in.

What to record: Their exact concerns in their own words. Don't paraphrase — "the ice machine takes 20 minutes to fill and I can't keep up" is more useful than "discussed equipment issues."

Role Performance

These four questions are designed to uncover how the support operation is really running from your barback's perspective. Work through each one during the conversation and tick it off as you cover it.

"Walk me through your prep before we open. What's your checklist before the first order comes in?"

This reveals whether they have a system or whether they're winging it. A strong barback will describe a routine — checking ice levels, stocking garnishes, filling wells, ensuring glassware is clean and accessible, checking backup stock locations. If they can't describe a consistent routine, they need one. Prep quality determines how the first hour of service runs.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes a specific, consistent routine with clear priorities
• Knows what needs to happen and in what order
• Has adapted the routine based on what they've learned

What to do with the answer: If they have a solid routine, acknowledge it. If they don't, build one together — write it down, stick it on the wall, and review it weekly until it's automatic. A prep checklist is the single most impactful development tool for a barback.

"When we're slammed on a Saturday, what's the first thing you run out of? What catches you off guard?"

This reveals their awareness of pressure points and stock flow patterns. A barback who knows that ice runs out at 10pm and glasses pile up around 11pm is thinking ahead. One who's constantly surprised by the same shortages every week isn't learning from experience. The answer also tells you whether there are systemic issues — if they always run out of the same thing, the prep quantity or par level is wrong.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific items and times with pattern awareness
• Distinguishes between predictable shortages and genuine surprises
• Suggests solutions or workarounds they've tried

What to do with the answer: If the same thing runs out every week, fix the par level — that's your job, not theirs. If they're caught off guard by different things each week, they need to build better awareness. Either way, the conversation helps you improve the system.

"How's the stock and cellar organisation working for you? Anything you'd move or change?"

This tests whether they're thinking about efficiency or just following the current layout without question. A barback who has opinions about where stock is stored is engaged with making the role easier and faster. One who shrugs hasn't connected their physical workflow to service outcomes yet.

What good answers sound like:

• Identifies specific layout inefficiencies ("the tonic is stored too far from the gun")
• Connects changes to speed or ease of restocking
• Shows they've thought about it rather than just accepting things as they are

What to do with the answer: If they have good ideas, implement them. Barbacks know more about stock flow than anyone — they're the ones carrying it. Letting them improve the layout gives them ownership and saves time during service.

"When you're juggling multiple things — restocking, collecting glasses, helping bartenders — how do you prioritise? What's your system?"

This reveals their decision-making under pressure. Prioritisation is the most important barback skill after physical stamina. If they default to whichever bartender shouts loudest, they're reactive. If they've figured out a system — "I restock stations first, then collect glasses, then check ice" — they're thinking strategically about the role.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes a consistent prioritisation approach
• Explains the logic behind their choices
• Adapts priorities based on the pace of service

What to do with the answer: If they have a system, refine it together. If they don't, help them build one. A simple hierarchy — "bartenders can't serve without stock, so restocking always comes first" — transforms a chaotic role into a manageable one.

Record the key points from your discussion, focusing on prep quality, pressure awareness, and prioritisation skills. Note specific stock or layout issues they raised — these often reveal systemic problems that affect the whole bar.

Team and Relationships

These questions surface the dynamics that affect your barback's experience and development — mentoring relationships, communication quality, respect during pressure, and peer support.

"Which bartender are you learning the most from? Who gives you the best guidance?"

This identifies who's investing in the barback's development — even informally. The answer tells you which bartenders are mentoring well and which are treating the barback as invisible labour. A barback who's learning from specific bartenders is developing faster than one who's just carrying boxes.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific bartenders and what they're learning from them
• Describes both technical skills and professional behaviours they're picking up
• Shows appreciation for investment in their development

What to do with the answer: Acknowledge the bartenders who are mentoring well — it encourages the behaviour. If no one is investing in the barback, that's a team culture issue you need to address.

"How do the bartenders let you know when they need something? Is it clear or do you have to guess?"

This reveals whether communication is working or whether the barback is left to read minds during service. Good communication means clear signals — "I need ice at station 2" rather than frustrated glances. If the barback is guessing what bartenders need, service suffers and the barback burns out trying to be everywhere at once.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes how communication actually works during service
• Identifies which bartenders communicate well and which don't
• Suggests what would make communication clearer

What to do with the answer: If communication is poor, address it at team level. A brief system — verbal calls, hand signals, or a simple "I need" protocol — takes 30 seconds to agree and saves frustration every shift.

"When bartenders are stressed during a rush, how do they treat you? Do you feel respected?"

This is the most important question in this section. Barbacks are vulnerable to poor treatment during pressure — they're junior, they're physically available, and stressed bartenders sometimes take frustration out on the nearest person. If your barback doesn't feel respected, they'll leave. This question gives them permission to be honest about something they might otherwise absorb.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about how they're treated, even if it's uncomfortable
• Distinguishes between direct communication under pressure (acceptable) and disrespect (not acceptable)
• Names specific incidents rather than vague complaints

What to do with the answer: If there's disrespect, address it immediately with the specific bartender. Don't tolerate it. Don't explain it away as "they're just stressed." A barback who feels safe will outperform and outlast one who dreads service.

"How's the relationship with the other barbacks, if you have any? Do you help each other or stay in your lanes?"

If you have multiple barbacks, their relationship affects efficiency. Barbacks who communicate and help each other create seamless coverage. Those who stick rigidly to their assigned areas create gaps. This question also surfaces any friction that might exist between them.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes the working relationship honestly
• Identifies where collaboration works and where it doesn't
• Shows awareness of how teamwork affects the whole bar

What to do with the answer: If they work well together, acknowledge it. If there's friction, address it. If they're operating in silos, encourage more communication — a quick chat at the start of each shift about who's covering what prevents duplication and gaps.

Capture the team dynamics discussed, any mentoring relationships worth encouraging, and any respect or treatment concerns. Note communication issues between barbacks and bartenders — these affect service quality directly.

Growth and Development

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

"Do you want to stay barbacking or are you aiming for behind the bar? Be honest — there's no wrong answer."

Most barbacks want to bartend eventually, but not all — and the honest answer determines how you develop them. A barback who wants to bartend needs practice opportunities, technique teaching, and a clear timeline. One who's happy barbacking needs acknowledgement, mastery goals, and to know the role is valued. One who sees this as temporary employment needs a positive experience regardless.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about their trajectory without feeling they need to perform ambition
• Specific about what interests them
• Shows they've thought about it rather than just shrugging

What to do with the answer: If they want to bartend, create a path — specific skills to learn, a timeline for taster shifts, and clear criteria for stepping up. If they want to stay barbacking, invest in making them exceptional at it. Either way, they deserve investment.

"What would you need to learn to be ready for your first bartending shift?"

This reveals both their self-awareness and your development gap. If they can name specific skills — pouring, cocktail basics, till operation, customer interaction — they're paying attention and thinking ahead. If they say "I don't know," they need more exposure to understand what the role requires.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific technical and interpersonal skills
• Shows realistic understanding of what bartending requires
• Identifies their biggest gap honestly

What to do with the answer: Build a development plan around their answer. If they need pour training, schedule it. If they need till practice, arrange it during a quiet shift. If they need customer interaction experience, give them small tasks — running drinks to tables, greeting guests at the bar.

"If you were training the next barback, what would you tell them that nobody told you?"

This reveals gaps in your training and what they've learned the hard way. Whatever they answer tells you what was missing from their own induction — and probably from every other barback's too. It also shows whether they're reflective about their experience.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and practical ("Nobody told me the cellar trap is slippery after deliveries")
• Based on experience rather than opinion
• Shows care for whoever comes after them

What to do with the answer: If it's useful, add it to your training. If multiple barbacks give similar answers, you've found a systemic gap.

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

The honest answer is the most valuable piece of information in the entire one-to-one. Barbacks often have short tenure by nature — they're early career, they're exploring, they might be students. Understanding their timeline helps you invest wisely and plan for succession.

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 negatively to any answer. If they want to stay, invest. If they want to move to bartending, build the path. If they're leaving, make their time worthwhile — you'll still get better performance from an invested short-term employee.

Record their career direction, development interests, and any specific skills they want to build. This feeds directly into performance review objectives and helps you plan training investment.

Wellbeing and Support

These questions catch frustration, scheduling issues, and equipment problems before they cause resignations. Ask them genuinely — barbacks are often the last to complain and the first to leave.

"What's the single most annoying thing about your job 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 stop caring. Common answers for barbacks include broken equipment, heavy lifting with no help, being shouted at during rushes, and unclear expectations about what they should be doing.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and fixable
• Trusts you enough to be honest
• Differentiates between temporary annoyances and persistent problems

What to do with the answer: Fix it if you can. If it's a broken ice machine, get it fixed this week. If it's being shouted at, speak to the bartender today. Fast responses to small things build enormous trust with junior team members.

"Are you getting enough hours, or not enough? Is the schedule working for your life?"

Barbacks often have scheduling needs that don't get asked about — college commitments, second jobs, family obligations, or simply needing more hours to make rent. This question surfaces whether the rota works for them, not just for you.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about whether hours suit them financially and personally
• Specific about what would work better if changes are needed
• Acknowledges constraints without being unreasonable

What to do with the answer: Adjust if you can. A barback who gets the hours they need is more reliable than one who's constantly trying to swap shifts or pick up work elsewhere.

"Is there any equipment that's making your life harder? Anything broken or missing?"

Barbacks work with equipment more than anyone — ice machines, glasswashers, trolleys, storage containers. Broken or inadequate equipment makes a physical job even harder. This question tells you what needs fixing and shows you care about their working conditions.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific equipment problems with practical impact
• Describes workarounds they've created for broken things
• Suggests solutions rather than just listing problems

What to do with the answer: Fix it. Equipment problems for barbacks translate directly into slower service for bartenders. Investing in their tools is investing in your bar's efficiency.

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

This directly asks whether you're supporting them as their manager. 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
• Trusts you enough to ask for something
• Acknowledges what you're already doing well

What to do with the answer: Deliver on it. Fast. For junior team members, speed of follow-through is the strongest signal of whether you actually care or are just going through the motions.

Record energy levels, frustrations, and support requests. Flag anything that suggests disengagement — barbacks rarely give warning before leaving, so these notes are your best early-detection system.

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.

Anticipating needs proactively instead of reacting — Are they restocking before bartenders run out, or only responding when asked? A barback who anticipates is engaged with the bar's rhythm. One who only reacts has either not learned the patterns yet or has stopped caring about getting ahead of them.

Maintaining consistent pace during routine tasks — Do they keep up their tempo during quieter periods, or slow down and need prompting? Consistent pace indicates someone who takes pride in the role. Variable pace suggests disengagement or boredom.

Communicating regularly with bartenders and flagging issues — Do they tell bartenders when something is running low, when equipment is playing up, or when they're falling behind? Or do they stay silent and hope nobody notices? Proactive communication is a strong engagement signal.

Attending shifts regularly without increased absences — Are they showing up reliably, or has attendance started to slip? Increasing absences are the clearest warning sign that a barback is disengaging. A single uncharacteristic absence is nothing; a pattern demands conversation.

Engaging positively about this venue rather than others — Do they talk about the bar with some pride, or are they constantly comparing it unfavourably to other places? Barbacks who feel valued talk positively about where they work.

Showing interest in training and learning opportunities — Do they ask questions, watch bartenders with curiosity, and volunteer for new tasks? Or have they stopped showing interest in learning? A barback who's still curious is invested in growing. One who's stopped asking questions has either learned everything or given up.

Note which indicators you couldn't tick and what you've observed. If multiple indicators are absent, this barback needs urgent attention — have a direct conversation about what's changed and what they need.

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 getting [X] sorted. You're trying [Y]. Chat next [day] before shift."

What to record:

• Your commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Fix ice machine by Wednesday")
• Their commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Try the new prep routine for three shifts")
• Any items to raise with the bar manager
• Topics to revisit next time

Follow-through matters more than anything else in this template. Barbacks are used to being low priority. If you promise to fix something and it's fixed the next day, you've shown them they matter. If you forget, you've confirmed what they already suspected. Be the manager who follows through.

Session Notes

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

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

• First month: Daily check-ins, heavy on practical guidance. Make sure they know their routine and feel supported.
• Months 1-3: Weekly check-ins, shift toward development. Start teaching bartending basics if they're interested.
• Established relationship: Push into growth territory. Taster shifts, technique practice, increased responsibility.
• When things are struggling: Ask directly what's changed. Barbacks rarely volunteer problems — you need to ask specific questions.

Over time, these session notes create a narrative of their development — invaluable for performance reviews and decisions about when they're ready to step up.

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 Barback performance reviews for how to use the evidence you gather in these sessions to write a thorough, fair assessment.

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