Post-Event Breakdown
Post-Event Breakdown
Breakdown refers to the stage at the end of a service or event in which service professionals ensure the venue is restored to its original state. Breakdown includes transitioning guests, administering a soft breakdown and then a hard breakdown, and debriefing with the staff.
1. Transition Guests
The cocktail captain leads the transition of guests by guiding them to the next area. They do this by:
Engaging with individuals
Engaging with small groups
Providing polite announcements to the whole audience (e.g., “We invite you all to join us in [the next space], where [the next experience] awaits”)
2. Administer a Soft Breakdown
After confirming the end time with the client, the cocktail captain directs bar staff to begin a soft breakdown. A soft breakdown involves bar staff discreetly cleaning their workplace and equipment (e.g., bottles, cheater bottles, bitter bottles), organizing and storing remaining inventory, and removing refuse. This is a proactive breakdown that initiates the bar closure without disrupting the guest experience. Often this occurs around last call, which is the point at which the bar staff communicates to guests that the bar is closing and this is their final opportunity for ordering a beverage.
Around this time, the cocktail captain should ensure that wait staff is actively clearing empty glassware and dishware, removing any remaining food or waste, assisting with sanitation, and removing refuse.
3. Administer a Hard Breakdown
The cocktail captain directs bar staff and wait staff to begin a hard breakdown (following a client’s confirmation the service phase or event is over). A hard breakdown involves the bar staff and wait staff fully returning the space to its original state or (if necessary) resetting for a subsequent service phase or event. This is a final breakdown that completes bar and room closure in the absence of guests.
The bar staff and wait staff ensure all bars, equipment, inventory, and rental items are properly cleaned, inventoried, and packed away (if applicable). This includes completing a final walkthrough of the area to check for any missing items. The cocktail captain oversees all processes and documentation in this process.
4. Debrief with Bar and Wait Staff
The bar staff and wait staff participate in a short post-event debrief to discuss relevant information related to the setup, execution, and breakdown of the event. The passed and cocktail captain directs this debrief and solicits feedback through facilitating an open dialogue with the team. The captain documents this feedback to include in the post-event review.