Gig: Bonny Bartender

Name: Jessica Halmstad

Age: 25

Job: Bartender and Front-of-House Manager at Bonny Blair’s Irish Pub Credit: Courtesy Amber Helsel

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I only found out what I wanted to be about two years ago and that was to be a paramedic. I went to EMT school, and I have plans on going to paramedic school in August.

Describe your workday in three words.

Fun, fast-paced, regular.

What tools could you not live or work without?

A vehicle, maybe. Money. Good shoes. I just got new shoes today. I’ve been telling everybody.

What steps brought you to this position?

A divorce, actually. I’ve been here about a year now. I went from waitstaff to senior waitstaff to front-of-house manager. For the first two years of my son’s life, I was at home. I mean, I wanted to work, but the first two years? I needed to be with my son. The divorce happened, and the money stopped coming, so I had to fend for myself.

What’s the strangest aspect of your job?

The variety of people that come in here. You get all kinds of personalities, all different kinds of workforces in here.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Being with people. I love all people. I treat everybody fairly. I don’t treat anybody better than the next person. I make people laugh, and they make me laugh, and it makes them keep coming back. It’s how I make my money.

What advice do you have for others who would like to become bartender?

The best way to be a bartender is to be able to communicate just about anything. You want to build a rapport with them. When you build a rapport with them, when you build a relationship with them, they’ll keep coming back. You can make life-long friendships with the people that come in and out. Have an open mind. Be fair. Treat everybody equally.