Barback
A barback supports the bartenders, restocking ice, glassware, liquor, beer, and garnish, changing kegs, and keeping the bar clean and set so the bartenders never have to leave the well. It is the bar's equivalent of the busser, and usually the route into bartending.
The economics of the position are simple. A bartender making drinks is a revenue station, and every trip to the walk-in for ice or a case of beer stops that station cold. A barback keeps the well stocked so the bartender stays in it. Busy bars staff the role even when the drink count alone would not require it.
Most of the work happens before and after service. Prep is cutting garnish, filling ice wells, stocking backups, pulling wine, and setting glassware; breakdown is the reverse plus cleaning. During a rush the barback runs whatever is about to run out, and knowing what that will be before the bartender asks is what separates a good one.
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