u/VegasGuy1223

For context, I moved back to my hometown of Orlando 5 months ago after being in las vegas for 10 years. The owner of a dive bar I was once a regular at was nice enough to offer me a job as he had someone who was quitting around the time, I was moving back to Orlando

Well, Saturday night after five months, I got shit canned. The owner said i still didn’t get it after being there five months. He and the manager explained id be better off working at a hotel lobby bar or something more resort based (as that was my primary experience bartending at casinos in vegas) and that I just wasnt fast enough for what they wanted at their bar. Both the owner and manager are great people and I understand why they did it. As much as I dont agree with it, I know they have to do what’s best for their business. They said that I was still welcome to come back anytime I wanted to hang out and drink. They even went so far as saying they would gladly recommend me for any place that I apply to that calls them.

Still in disbelief about the whole thing, and I’ve already filled out dozens of applications over the last day or so, I’ve also taken a walk around downtown Orlando and popping into different bars trying to find out who’s hiring

Hopefully, I can find something sooner rather than later. My plan for now is to drive Uber full-time until I get something else.

Still just mentally processing all of this as moving from Las Vegas to Orlando cost me $15,000 and I was just finally starting to begin, recouping the moving costs. I’m not going to let this defeat me though, I’m doing my best to keep a positive mindset.

And I’ll end this post by saying if anybody knows a good spot in Orlando that needs bartenders. I’m available to start immediately.

UPDATE: Interviewed with a craft cocktail spot and it went VERY well. I should know later in the week when I’ll start and my now former boss said he’d be happy to help with a reference

I work at a dive bar in Florida in a pretty touristy area. On both doors to enter the bar, we have BIG signs that say “MUST BE 21 TO ENTER. VALID ID REQUIRED!”

Inside at the bar we have BIGGER SIGNS that say “WE DO NOT ACCEPT PHOTOS OF YOUR ID”

And I STILL get people who when they come in and and I ask for IDs there’s always ONE person who immediately pulls out their phone then shoves their photo of their ID in my face.

When I tell them it’s not acceptable I get one of these excuses
“Well the other bar I went to was ok with it” or
“I lost my ID last night” or
“My ID is at the Airbnb and it’s 30 minutes away” or
“Ok I just won’t drink then” The last one makes me literally lol. You expect me to just trust you? How do I know one of your idiot friends in your group won’t try to sneak you a drink later on
And this honorable mention because it is Florida “I ain’t got my ID the cops took it”

When I try to respectfully explain I can’t serve anyone unless they ALL have their valid ID and that they have to leave if they don’t, 9/10 they leave And apologize. But there’s always that ONE group that wants to argue about it. Then I have to get the manager or owner involved. The owner or manager tells them the same thing then we get cussed out it’s usually a “FUCK YOU GUYS, THIS PLACE IS LAME AF ANYWAYS” lol like ok why did you come here

Then there’s the people who come in with their CLEARLY under 21 y/o kids and ask “We just wanna play some pool. He’s 16 (or 17-20) can’t you just make an exception this one time?”

NO BRO! DID YOU NOT READ THE SIGN ON THE DOOR? OR THE FUCKING SIGNS THAT ARE IN BOLD PRINT AND 18 INCHES FROM YOUR FUCKING FACE?

Just needed to get that off my chest because it’s busy season for us and it’s the same song and dance multiple times a night.

Thank God today is my Friday. Really looking forward to it just being with my wife the next 2 days

I’m currently working my way through (the ordeal) of the Florida real estate course. Since applying to take the exam, a lot of brokerages have been reaching out to me wanting to work for them.

I interviewed one today called Macken Realty at their Orlando office. Woman seemed real nice and gave me a rundown of what sounded like an awesome brokerage to work for.

90/10 commission splits
No annual fees or desk fees of any kind
Lots of free training and coaching

Just curious to know if anyone works with them in Orlando or South FL and what their experience has been?

Wasn’t sure what else to flair this post as so I hope it doesn’t get deleted.

I’ve been a bartender since 2019. I became a bartender while living in Las Vegas, and from 2019 to this year, I bartended in world famous nightclubs, casinos, restaurants, festivals, F1, local bars etc.

After moving back to FL in March, I was able to land a job at a dive bar I used to be a regular at before moving to Las Vegas. The owner and bar manager who are both amazing people knew me well and were happy to bring me on.

Let me just say, working at a dive bar is an experience like no other. I feel I’ve learned more about bartending in these last 3.5 months than I did the 7 years I was in Las Vegas. I find myself making much more specific shots and mixed drinks than I ever did as a casino bartender and because this dive bar is consistently high volume, I’ve had to work at speeds that were never required of me in Vegas if you can believe that. I’ve gotten to know the regulars and they know me now and are happy to see me when they come in and see me behind the bar.

As for my coworkers we all get along great, we work as a team and it feels like a family here. And I’m making more than I did in Las Vegas surprisingly.

If anyone here ever has a chance to work in an established dive bar that has a good crowd, good coworkers, and good owners, I’d highly recommend it!

After 9 years, 12k rides between both apps, some not so good memories but MANY more good ones, I am “retiring” from rideshare.

I recently relocated from Las Vegas back to my hometown of Orlando. The job I took here gave me a $15k a year bump in pay which basically makes up for the $15k a year I made doing rideshare in Vegas (in addition to my “real job” there) and for that I feel incredibly blessed

Attempts have been made to do rideshare in Orlando, and I found it to be just not worth it. I could make $200-$250 in Vegas and not even put 100 miles on my car in 6-8 hours. In Orlando even after 8 hours I can’t clear $175 while driving 175-200 miles.

To those who do rideshare full time in central Florida, god bless you all.

I kept uber/lyft my side hustle for as long as I had because I had the freedom and flexibility to work when I wanted/needed to, and if my “real job” called me in I got drop of my last pax, log off and go to work. Tbh I also enjoyed chatting with the tourists in Vegas, tell them “crazy Vegas” stories, recommending them good bars/restaurants off the strip etc. and after moving back to Orlando, I had fun with the Disney crowd as well. But it’s no longer worth it.

I’ll still keep my driver profiles active just in case I ever need it again. Because you just never know. But I’m now in a job that earns me enough I don’t have to do this anymore.

To the rest of you still doing this, may every pax rate you 5 stars tip well and make your day better!

My last shift broke me
I’ve worked busy shifts before. I can handle getting slammed. That’s part of the job. But this wasn’t just busy — it was way beyond what two bartenders should’ve been handling. No breathing room, no catching up, just constant tickets, people waiting, drinks stacking up, and that feeling of being underwater the entire night.

I was doing everything I could to keep up. Moving as fast as possible, trying not to let anyone get ignored, trying to stay composed. But at a certain point, it stops being about skill and just becomes survival.
What really got to me though was my coworker who was off shift and drinking. At one point they told me they’d been waiting forever and thought I was ignoring them. That honestly hit harder than anything else that night. I wasn’t ignoring anyone—I was just buried. But hearing that made me feel like I was failing across the board.
By the end of the shift, I felt completely defeated. Not just tired—like mentally and emotionally cooked. Like no matter how hard I tried, it wasn’t enough.
And now I’m sitting here 2 days later polishing up my resume because I genuinely feel like getting fired is inevitable after a night like that. Whether that’s reality or just how it feels right now, I don’t know. But that’s where my head is.
I don’t even know what I’m looking for posting this. Maybe just to vent. Maybe to hear if anyone else has had a shift that made them question everything.
Because right now? I feel like I’m not cut out for this anymore.
Why am I polishing up my resume you ask? I’ve been at this bar for 2 months and working here has made me feel like (I’ve been a bartender since 2019) I’m brand new with no experience again. Every day something happens somehow where I end up looking like an incompetent fool and my coworkers and/or regulars ridicule me.