Bar buybacks

[hoopsie44]

Does your local bar buy you back a drink after you purchase a certain number? after how many ? Here in New York it's very rare to get a buy back in Manhattan unless you're a regular. In Queens or Brooklyn they usually buy back every fourth drink. Of course, variables such as how good a tipper you are and whether you're sleeping with the bartender can affect rate of buyback also.

[jakethebake]

I've never heard of this anywhere except when there are 2-for-1 specials or whatever.

[IndieMatty]

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I've never heard of this anywhere except when there are 2-for-1 specials or whatever.

[/ QUOTE ] You've never heard of buybacks? Really? Or "not" getting buy backs.

[jakethebake]

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I've never heard of this anywhere except when there are 2-for-1 specials or whatever.

[/ QUOTE ] You've never heard of buybacks? Really? Or "not" getting buy backs.

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I've never heard of this practice at all, and I actually bartended for quite a few years. Is it a New York thing?

[JimGil]

It depends on the type of place you're in:

-local neighborhood pub - every 2 to 3 drinks (provided you're tipping each round)
-TGI Fridays - never

[hoopsie44]

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It depends on the type of place you're in:

-local neighborhood pub - every 2 to 3 drinks (provided you're tipping each round)
-TGI Fridays - never

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A chain like TGIF will never buy a drink. I think it's primarily a custom found in the NE, although I'm not positive. A tip after each round is not necessary. Always tip when I'm leaving.

[steelcmg]

well the local bar me and my pops goto after we get done working the owener comes in at 430 and buys a round for everyone in the bar. Not really a buy back but very close. So i usually get 2 beers then head home for dinner.

[Ulysses]

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I've never heard of this anywhere except when there are 2-for-1 specials or whatever.

[/ QUOTE ] You've never heard of buybacks? Really? Or "not" getting buy backs.

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I've never heard of this practice at all, and I actually bartended for quite a few years. Is it a New York thing?

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This is common practice every place I've lived (SF, NYC, Atlanta, Houston, Colorado, etc.)

[jakethebake]

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This is common practice every place I've lived (SF, NYC, Atlanta, Houston, Colorado, etc.)

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I bartended in Houston for awhile and never heard of this. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Weird. I must be going to the wrong bars.

edit: Where in houston did you hang out El D? I bartended at the Outback Pub, the Yucatan, Joe's...oh and some bowling alley I can't remember the name of.

[ddollevoet]

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-TGI Fridays - never

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Ten years ago. I never paid for drinks at TGIF's and I didn't really know the bartender. I did have a friend, however, that owned an engraving shop and she used to bring the bartenders personalized "flair" for their suspenders.

Free top-shelf long island iced teas are goot.

I've never heard the term "buy backs", but I've gotten free drinks at most neighborhood pubs that I used go to. (I used to go a lot). Rather than being any type of program (buy 4 get 1 free) it was more of a "thanks for your business" type thing. Take care of the regulars by giving them a free drink now and then.

[jakethebake]

Is this an actual bar policy? Or is this like a tip the bartender instead of paying for the drink kinda thing?

[jakethebake]

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Rather than being any type of program (buy 4 get 1 free) it was more of a "thanks for your business" type thing. Take care of the regulars by giving them a free drink now and then.

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Sure, most places do that occasionally. This buyback thing sounds more regular though.

[hoopsie44]

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Is this an actual bar policy? Or is this like a tip the bartender instead of paying for the drink kinda thing?

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No, this is actual bar policy and can determine what bar you go to. I remember in college saying " let's not go there they don't buy back enough". Many bartenders end up getting fired because they buy back way too many drinks attempting to get a larger tip from a grateful (and drunk) patron.

[chaas4747]

In Kansas it is actually illegal to give free drinks as a bartender. That being said, when I was bartending, and someone was a good tipper, the ratio was about 1 to 4.

[bosoxfan]

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Weird. I must be going to the wrong bars.

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I don't think this is the case.

[turnipmonster]

I rarely get buybacks in manhattan but it's standard in brooklyn. come to think of it, I did get several buybacks at kgb bar in manhattan the other night, but usually at jazz clubs they don't buyback (except for detour).

--turnipmonster

[nothumb]

I've never heard of this as an explicit practice, I tend to get a lot of free drinks though. But I know all the bartenders, so I'm not sure it counts.

Last time I went out in Manhattan I got some freebies too, but my first order was ten shots of JD, so I think I made a friend. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

NT

[jakethebake]

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Weird. I must be going to the wrong bars.

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I don't think this is the case.

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/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Rob Blackburn]

In my experiance its more prevelant in the NE, though I have gotten buybacks regularly at certain places in Atlanta, and Tampa. It seemed most of the places in the NE we went they all bought back. I haven't gotten one at a single place in Houston yet, but I don't go out like I used to.

My question is whats a good tip for a buyback, double the normal tip? triple?

I never got a set habit for it, I'd like to find the sweet spot where I don't look like a cheap ass, nor do I look like a overtipping jag off.

[jakethebake]

I used to tip a buck a beer plus w/e change. Then a few years ago I moved up to tipping the change + $1 or $2 every other beer. Recently I've just made it $2/beer.

[hoopsie44]

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My question is whats a good tip for a buyback, double the normal tip? triple?

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I don't tip after each individual round. When I go to my local bar and put in a seven or eight hour session, I always leave a $10 tip when I'm leaving. If the bartender has been banging me pretty good with buybacks, I'll leave him or her a $15 tip.

[Jules22]

all i know is at my local bar i can get hammered off of fewer mixed drinks because i tip the regular bartender well.

[wayabvpar]

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My question is whats a good tip for a buyback, double the normal tip? triple?

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I don't tip after each individual round. When I go to my local bar and put in a seven or eight hour session, I always leave a $10 tip when I'm leaving. If the bartender has been banging me pretty good with buybacks, I'll leave him or her a $15 tip.

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Wow. Really? Bartenders are the service folks who get my special attention for tips. I can't remember the last time I didn't tip at least 25% of my tab. Usually it is closer to 33%. If they 'forget' to put a few drinks on my tab, I will tip them as if those drinks were on the tab and add in some extra for the courtesy.

[Benholio]

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I've never heard of this anywhere except when there are 2-for-1 specials or whatever.

[/ QUOTE ] You've never heard of buybacks? Really? Or "not" getting buy backs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never heard of this practice at all, and I actually bartended for quite a few years. Is it a New York thing?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is common practice every place I've lived (SF, NYC, Atlanta, Houston, Colorado, etc.)

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Where in Atlanta did you frequent that did this? I've probably only been to 8-10 places more than once, but I've never heard of 'buybacks'. I've had some places conveniently forget to ring up a portion of our drinks after we established ridiculous tipping histories, but never seen anything like this out in the open.

[hoopsie44]

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My question is whats a good tip for a buyback, double the normal tip? triple?

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I don't tip after each individual round. When I go to my local bar and put in a seven or eight hour session, I always leave a $10 tip when I'm leaving. If the bartender has been banging me pretty good with buybacks, I'll leave him or her a $15 tip.

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Wow. Really? Bartenders are the service folks who get my special attention for tips. I can't remember the last time I didn't tip at least 25% of my tab. Usually it is closer to 33%. If they 'forget' to put a few drinks on my tab, I will tip them as if those drinks were on the tab and add in some extra for the courtesy.

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Say in a 7 hr session I drink 12 beers and am charged for 9. Coors Light in my bar goes for $3.50 a pop, for a total tab of about $32. A $10 tip equates to about 30%, same ballpark you're talking about.

[theghost]

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My question is whats a good tip for a buyback, double the normal tip? triple?


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$1/beer, considering we're talking a standard $4 pint or $3 bottle of whatever. No need to tip more on the round they get you, $1 is fine.

Getting bought back 1 for every 4 you drink used to be standard, I thought (or at least I was always pissed if a bartender wasn't doing it). These past 5 years the practice seems less common. Meh.

Always made sense to me: 4 beers at $1 tip each gets one $4 beer at no charge, as the bartender's way of saying thanks for bothering to tip (at no additional cost to them).

[chaas4747]

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My question is whats a good tip for a buyback, double the normal tip? triple?


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$1/beer, considering we're talking a standard $4 pint or $3 bottle of whatever. No need to tip more on the round they get you, $1 is fine.

Getting bought back 1 for every 4 you drink used to be standard, I thought (or at least I was always pissed if a bartender wasn't doing it). These past 5 years the practice seems less common. Meh.

Always made sense to me: 4 beers at $1 tip each gets one $4 beer at no charge, as the bartender's way of saying thanks for bothering to tip (at no additional cost to them).

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Then IMO you should double your tip on the buy back beer. that way on every 5 beers the bartender is making $6.

[banditbdl]

Buybacks are unheard of in Minnesota near as I can tell.

[sam h]

I have always referred to this as "getting the knock" since bartenders will generally rap the bar when its free. In most bars in Brooklyn where I used to drink, this was a pretty standard practice.

Here is a good secret. Next time you're out with friends at the a bar that gives knocks, convince whoever got the first round that you should just give them money and have them buy the drinks whenever it is your turn to pay, rather than getting them yourself, since otherwise you will get fewer knocks unless you're getting plastered. Then instead of waiting at a crowded bar for drinks, spend more time talking to the girls you're out with.