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Roy Clark is GM/Bartender at the Haberdasher in Mobile, Alabama. The Haberdasher is downtown Mobile’s go-to bar for craft cocktails and an ever-rotating selection of craft beer, and the city’s best spirits list. Bartenders mix classic concoctions as well as fresh and inventive original and contemporary drinks. The food bar is open nightly serving a variety of fresh, handmade bar foods and more.

Roy’ started off his journey of Bartending at the Alabama Music Box (a large rock and roll and venue on the weekend and a normal bar during the week days. Next Roy friend hired him on at Taste which was a classic/craft cocktail and wine bar which was Roy’s real introduction into the craft cocktail world. Then in 2012 Roy opened the Haberdasher in 2012.

In 2012 craft cocktails were a new thing and the market was exploding around the country for craft cocktail bars and it had not yet hit Alabama. Roy and his team were trailblazers in the industry for the area. Today’s episode we get to learn from a real trailblazer in the industry. If you are looking to do something that is different for you community and be a trailblazer this episode is really for you. However, we should all be looking to expand our businesses and the best people to learn how to expand is from those who had no momentum for their specific part of the industry. Roy brings fresh ideas that those who aren’t necessarily trailblazers can use to expand what they are doing into new horizons.

Pete and Roy also discuss what it looks like to add a cocktail program into your organization or to improve your current cocktail program.  Roy shares that BarSmarts is a great way to provide the consistency between all your bartenders and helps you provide the fundamentals that all bartenders need. Roy’s next recommendation is bringing in someone with credibility to teach your bartenders who can inspire and equip your team. The key to all of this is communicating to your team to be life-long learners, you never stop learning.

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Pete’s Restaurants: PaniniPetesSunsetPointeEd’sSeafoodShedSquidink,