We’ve all heard about the amazing achievements of that small bar from Sydney!
A couple of celebrity bartenders kicking off, a top-notch location, sharp operators, good-looking crowd, and delicious cocktails.
All incredibly crucial points! But what’s really their secret sauce?
Well, let me tell you!
Since the very beginning, I’ve been looking at them with incredible admiration, and even a touch of jealousy, to be honest. However, I couldn’t quite figure out what their recipe for success was until I experienced their day-to-day operations firsthand.
Every person working for this group is not only an integral part of the team but is also encouraged to feel like a rockstar! Maybe, Sammy isn’t just a place! it’s a concept that extends beyond any single venue or individual.
As I just mentioned, I recently found myself working up-close with this incredible team and I was absolutely humbled and inspired by their level of support and care for one another, a sense of fraternity that I haven’t seen for a very long time and that almost feels like a regimental Marines code.
The success of one is the success of everyone, and embracing this concept is what I believe makes this establishment and every single human involved in the project extremely successful.
Not only on a national level, where they won everything one could possibly imagine, but also to a global scale!
I have worked with many teams in the last 8 years in this industry, and never once, experienced the level of support and camaraderie they extend to one another.
If one of them travels to a cocktail competition? Or a guest shift? A hundred of them will post about it, reshare stories, talk about it or even take a flight to go and support! Which is insane!
An incredible sense of unity which makes them strong and connected.
This is what our industry should be about! Connect with each other and support one another, help and encourage development and growth and celebrate our peers’ success.
Way too often I have experienced toxic competition between bartenders, which is disgusting in the first place but also extremely unhealthy, even though people don’t talk about it or sometimes just turn the other way.
Many, unfortunately, tend to be extremely judgmental, talking down people for different visions or simply just to justify their mediocre performances and jealousy.
And then, there is always a hero! The one that ignores all your effort to simply connect and share a chat or two. The ones that don’t follow you back on social media as they think they are too cool for you, the ones that see your success and only spare negative comments behind your back. Some of them, amazing bartenders, writers, ambassadors with amazing palates, talents, and achievements, sometimes even people you used to look up to.
Those are also often the ones that end all their relevance once they leave the multimillion company they work for or once brand money shifts to the next lucky contestant.
People that could add incredible value to the industry and help young generations in positioning themselves for the future.
So what is really the secret here?
Culture!
The sentence “don’t be a dick” that we love engraved on the bar top of our favourite dive bar, or on a cool hospo T-shirt, is not only a warning to discourage rude guests.
But it should be a way of life we all should embrace fully!
Some already do, and there is not much wondering why they are smashing it!
Now, it’s your turn! Share your thoughts with us. Your opinions matter, and we’d love to engage with you. If there’s another topic you’re itching to discuss, feel free to drop us a dm. We’re all ears and excited to continue the conversation with our amazing community! Support us by following our page!
