Since The Crafty Barkeep was founded two years ago, we’ve had the opportunity to visit some amazing cities, experience an incredible array of bars and restaurants, and meet hundreds of outstanding bartenders and waitstaff. When we first started developing The Crafty Barkeep, our vision was simple: create a mobile app that allows us to keep tabs on the bartenders that we like to go see. We’ve traveled extensively over the past few years, and prior to launching the app, we had no idea where our favorite bartenders worked, or what hours they were on shift. Since our original vision came to life, we’ve learned so much about the service industry and the people that work in it. When we first started The Crafty Barkeep, we had no idea that there would be such a need in the industry to create a social networking platform that elevates the communication and engagement between bars and restaurants, their staff members, and their regulars. We’ve since been given an opportunity to share what we’ve created with people we call friends, allowing them to promote themselves to the people that matter most to them — their regulars.
One of the things that motivated us most when developing The Crafty Barkeep was the fact that so many people who go out for a drink or a meal have no idea that the waitress or bartender serving them makes their living exclusively on tips. Depending on the state, they may only earn an hourly wage of $2.13, although most of that money is withheld for taxes at the end of the pay period. We felt the need to generate awareness and provide an outlet for members of the service industry to earn more by communicating better with their regulars. In general, people go to places where they receive great service.
The Crafty Barkeep was built to allow anyone working in the service industry to create a free profile and share great experiences, food and drink specials, and their schedule with followers. For the personal security of our member community, a follow request must be approved for their profile to be unlocked and for their availability and posts to be visible. The Crafty Barkeep also works like a crowd funding platform by allowing patrons to send tips right through the app.
The digital platform is reinventing how members of the service industry communicate with their regulars + reshaping how people show appreciation for great service by making it easy to send a tip to your favorite bartender. Our members send tips to waitstaff and bartenders they follow on the app, even when they’re travelling and not able to be present to show appreciation and support. There are more than 15.3 million people who work in the service industry in the United States alone, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide a platform where they can see their hard work be appreciated.
The Crafty Barkeep app was created exclusively in support of the service industry and we are proud to hear when our member community finds value in what we’ve created. Future releases of the app will include premium features that will cater to the establishments and help them promote their business by driving recurring traffic. Given the crisis the service industry is currently going through with the spread of COVID-19, we felt an obligation to share what we’ve developed with as many people as possible who work in the service industry. We’re lucky to have had the opportunity to create The Crafty Barkeep — our original vision of doing it all #ForTheLoveOfBarkeeps stands true and is now more important than ever. To learn more about how you can use this app to send tips to local service industry members, visit thecraftybarkeep.com.
Voices contribution by Gregory Galanis, Founder
The Crafty Barkeep
