Transcript
Hi, I’m Chris Cardone, I’m the north east United States representative of the Flair Bartenders’ association and I want to teach you how to present napkins and coasters when a guest arrives at your bar.
This is such a seldom used item of flair, and it’s so important because it’s the very first interaction with the guest.
A guest walks up to your bar, the very first thing you do is place a coaster or a napkin in front of them, so it’s starting off saying, there’s a statement, ‘I am not your everyday bartender’.
The concept is really simple but there is a science behind it.
You’re going to toss a napkin or a coaster like a Frisbee and you’re going to land it on your hand.
The most important part of this is how you hold the napkin when you start.
You can either hold the napkin by this portion where you’re going to throw it and the wind is going to catch the napkin and send it on its way, or you hold it by the corner basically adjacent or opposite the side that’s closed.
The folded side is the most important part because when you throw it, it’s the first thing that hits the wind, and it’s going to keep itself closed.
So you’re going to take it, you’re going to bring your wrist in towards your body and then snap it like a Frisbee.
At the same time you’re doing this, as soon as you release you’re going to put you hand out like this and let the napkin fall onto your hand.
It kind of looks like this and then when you get to this point instead of just taking it off your hand and putting it on the bar which kind of looks silly, you’re going to take your napkin, you’re going to snap it, catch it on your wrist, turn it over, and release it onto the bar.
In one smooth motion it looks like this: ‘Good evening, how are you, can I get you something to drink?
And that is how you do napkins or coasters with flair.
