Could an aspie work at a bar?

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The thought's crossed my mind. I'm talking more along the lines of bars and pubs, rather than nightclubs.

It sounds demanding and challenging, but I enjoy the bar atmosphere. If I were to apply for a job at a bar, I'd choose the one that I more often go to, strictly because of its familiarity.

Has anybody here had experience working at bars?

The thought of even stepping into a bar as a patron makes my toes curl lol... I do a front desk clerk at a busy seasonal hotel and that puts me at my wits end by end of season. I did some serving last season and as long as I focused on my current table and not let my attention wander I did ok. But it was slow and I think that was the only reason I managed to do ok.

When I was a teen I helped my mother sometimes in her bar/pizza place. I always felt confused and wondered HOW on earth anyone had fun in such a chaotic awful place. Not sure of any advice as the multi tasking needed to help my mom in the kitchen was just beyond me.

If that is what you want to do I wish you the best and hope it works out for you

Actually, a lack of empathy can actually be an advantage--those sob stories can just slide off you, as if you were protected by Teflon. And, if you have a good memory, being able to somehow remember what drinks everyone routinely orders can be a big plus. Much better than a personable bar tender who never gets anyone's drinks right...

The noise! The pressure! The pace! Hectic CHAOS!! !

Not for me, thanks... unless I'm in the back/kitchen or something.

Probably, it depends on the aspie. Not all of them are sensitive to sound and light and crowds.

I've been told I should be a bartender because I'm a good listener.

This could go weird though if someone at the bar asks a rhetorical question and I try to give a literal answer. I'd have to have a mental phrase book of clever short responses and not try to analayze.

In a nice, quiet pub?

I've worked in a bar before, I didn't find it too bad as there is a sort of routine to it. I would struggle somewhere if I had to make cocktails though.

What exactly did you do? My current idea is to work as a server....although I do get a bit of pleasure at the thought of making people's drinks!

I just really pulled pints and served spirits, the bar was in a university and was pretty quiet so it was easier. It was only a few hours a week as well

I worked in a student pub for 8 years. The first 4 years were spent in the kitchen, then I got coaxed on to the bar. There was a lot more physical stress in the kitchen (I am quite anal and the kitchen got quite busy), but on the bar I had to deal with people. It was quite demanding on my socialising skills but also helped with them. I would get nervous before every shift and it would take a while for me to settle in each time I went to work.
Looking back on my time there, it has helped me grow, but just like everything else in my life, the less I do something the harder it becomes. Now I am no longer there I do not go out as much and have become more introvert. I worked there full time and it did boost my confidence, the only problem was that I did not consider bar work (non manager level) to be a valid career for me. I am now working part-time in retail . The time I spent at the pub taught me a lot, but I would much prefer a quieter job involving fewer interactions with people.

I could never handle the noise, and that's probably true of many aspies.
I have a hard enough time in the modern "open office"
...with big noise-blocking headphones.

Though I can't help you with life experience because I've never done pub/bar work, I will say that if it's in your heart, you should just do it. Life is too short, and at the very least you will learn a lot and have some great stories to tell one day.

The world contains plenty of autistics

The world contains plenty of bartenders

Venn diagram

Certainly more than two autistics are bartenders. In the world


Bars are dark and noisy

Drunk customers

I work as a cashier at a grocery store, and I often run self-check which has 10 registers (wish it only had 8 like it used to)

When I start to feel like it’s too much, I sometimes scan the room, at a slow to medium pace, for example, I might give 2 to 4 seconds of casual visual attention to this customer, 2 to 4 seconds of casual, low-key attention to the next customer, and so on. This helps to calm me, and also helps me to appear calm and in control, which is important in a public job.

Which Aspie?

Asking "could an Aspie work in a bar?" Is like asking "could an Aspie run a mile in five minutes

Some aspies can run a mile in five minutes

Some aspies can't