$1 is Not Enough
by Steve Lunden | Bartender Stories
Latest episode
The Bar Was Packed. I Got Fired for Speaking Up.
The Bar Was Packed. I Got Fired for Speaking Up.
About this podcast
Real stories from behind the bar. Bad tips, worse customers, and 25 years of things you're not supposed to say out loud.Bartender and host Steve Lunden, creator of The Cynical Bartender, shares unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry. From nightmare customers and outrageous restaurant stories to terrible tips, clueless management, and the everyday insanity of working in customer service, nothing is off-limits.Solo rants, guest bartenders, and the conversations that only happen after last call. If you've ever worked a shift, you'll feel this. If you haven't, you'll never look at your bartender the same way again.
Episodes
- The Bar Was Packed. I Got Fired for Speaking Up. · 33 min · Season 1 Episode 21What happens when a bar owner cares more about keeping the regulars happy than protecting the people working behind the bar? In Episode 21 of $1 Is Not Enough, I'm sharing one of…
- The Tip Isn’t Always Money · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 20Send us Fan Mail Episode 20: The Tip Isn't Always Money | 25 Years Behind the Bar Six zero-dollar tips in a row. Four more blank tip lines. And one generous soul who left me…
- Work Friends... Until You Quit? · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 19Send us Fan Mail Your coworkers are your family. Until somebody quits. Then apparently, you never existed. If you've ever worked in a restaurant or bar, you know exactly what…
- You Had All Day to Cut the Damn Limes! · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 18Send us Fan Mail The day shift clocked out. The night shift got screwed. Sound familiar? There's a special kind of frustration that comes with walking into a busy Friday or…
- The Service Charge Scam · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 17Send us Fan Mail Episode Show Notes What exactly is a 20% service charge, and why do so many customers assume it is the tip? In this episode of $1 Is Not Enough, Steve breaks…
- Why Good Bartenders Quit · 19 min · Season 1 Episode 16Send us Fan Mail Why do good bartenders leave jobs they were once loyal to? Usually, it is not because bartending is too hard. It is because being dependable, experienced, and…
- Your Bad Day Isn’t My Tip · 12 min · Season 1 Episode 15Send us Fan Mail Your Bad Day Isn't My TipWe've all had bad days. Your boss pissed you off. Your relationship is a mess. Your rent went up. Your car broke down. Maybe you're…
- You Tipped Me. Then I Tipped Everyone Else. · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 14Send us Fan Mail You Tipped Me. Then I Tipped Everyone Else. You leave your server a $20 tip. You walk out feeling like you took care of them. But what about the bartender who…
- Special Episode: ”Twenty-Five Years” | A September 11th Tribute · 10 min · Season 1 Episode 11Send us Fan Mail Twenty-five years ago, the world changed in a single morning. Not gradually, not over time. In one morning. In this special episode, Steve steps away from the…
- Dad + Mini-Me · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 12Send us Fan Mail This week I brought in a very special guest -- my 11-year-old son. He asked to be on the show, so here we are. We talk about what it's actually like growing up…
- The Four Most Dangerous Words at a Bar · 14 min · Season 1 Episode 10Send us Fan Mail Four words. That's all it takes to make every bartender within earshot silently lose their mind. In this episode, Steve breaks down the phrase no bartender…
- The Weekend, Double J & Dave · 32 min · Season 1 Episode 9Send us Fan Mail Some weekends are memorable for all the right reasons. This was not one of them. In Episode 9, I take you back to a weekend shift featuring Double J and their…
- Broke in Theory · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 8Send us Fan Mail You know the coworker. They spend every shift telling anyone who will listen how broke they are. Bills. Rent. Gas. The whole thing. But the second an actual…
- Things You Learn That Nobody Teaches You · 16 min · Season 1 Episode 7Send us Fan Mail Twenty years behind the bar teaches you things no training covers. In Episode 7 of $1 is Not Enough, Steve breaks down the unwritten rules of bartending: how…
- Welcome to $1 is Not Enough · 4 min · Season 1 Episode 1Send us Fan Mail Meet your host, Steve Lunden. 20-plus years behind the bar, thousands of stories, and zero filter left. In this first episode, Steve breaks down what this show…
- A Dollar a Drink · 12 min · Season 1 Episode 2Send us Fan Mail I posted a TikTok about tipping and the Internet had opinions. Let's talk about the dollar-a-drink myth, the comments that proved my point, and the time someone…
- I Don’t Care If You Were Born Before 9/11, I Still Need Your ID · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 5Send us Fan Mail "I was born before 9/11." That's nice. I still need your ID. In this episode of $1 Is Not Enough, we're talking about one of the most common arguments…
- Long Weekend, Weak Paycheck · 16 min · Season 1 Episode 6Send us Fan Mail A long weekend behind the bar sounds like a recipe for good business and good money. Not this time. In this episode of $1 Is Not Enough, Steve breaks down a…
- Three Free Drinks · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 4Send us Fan Mail What happens when 700 guests show up, everyone gets three free drink coupons, two bartenders call out, and nobody tells the bar staff until an hour before the…
- Make it Strong · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 3Send us Fan Mail "Make it strong." Three words every bartender has heard a thousand times. Steve breaks down what it actually means, the types of people who say it, and why it…
