ReFire: Bad Behavior & Ridiculous Regulars

We're back! Hosts David Klemt and Bradley Knebel tackle two real-life restaurant and bar situations in the first ReFire of 2025.

The two tackle the topic of an operator who's hesitant to believe it when multiple employees claim a culinary team member is rude, hostile, and abusive...but believes that team member when they make the same accusation against a quiet but hard-working back-of-house peer. Don't worry - it gets worse!

Then, David and Bradley take a look at a stunning, on-the-spot termination of a bartender who had been in role since day one. The restaurant was busy, the bar was slammed, and the word of a regular got the bartender of five years fired instantly. Something doesn't add up!

Look, firing someone is never pleasant. However, it's going to happen. Operators and leadership team members need to have standards in place and communicated clearly, a process for terminations, and the understanding that how they fire people speaks to their credibility and reputation.

Notes

Bar Hacks IG:⁠⁠⁠@barhacks⁠⁠⁠

David Klemt IG:⁠⁠⁠@david.ex.machina⁠⁠⁠

Bradley Knebel IG:⁠⁠⁠@sommfabulousguy⁠⁠⁠

KRG Hospitality IG:⁠⁠⁠@KRG.Hospitality⁠⁠⁠

KRG Hospitality website:⁠⁠⁠KRGHospitality.com⁠⁠⁠

Empowered Hospitality IG:⁠⁠⁠@empoweredhospitality⁠⁠⁠

Empowered Hospitality website:⁠⁠⁠EmpoweredHospitality.com⁠