Frequently Asked Questions
What type of Bartending Training Programs do you offer?
We offer 2 different programs:
Professional Bartending Certification: This is the full 2 week certification course. A Student should take this course if they want to work as a bartender in the industry. No experience is necessary. Our course is all hands on training and is designed to build and develop your skills each day so that by the time you are done the course you could comfortably step behind any bar and bartend!
Intro to Bartending: This is a 4 hour workshop geared at providing the student with all of the basic bartending skills needed to practically tend bar at a social function in their home, office or Christmas party, etc. This can also be a great team building event or a way of finding out if bartending is for you!
What sets Fine Art apart from other schools?
There are several factors that set Fine Art Bartending apart from the competition:
We offer the most in-depth & extensive training in Canada. Our course is 8 days of training, which allows us to go much more in-depth than other courses.
Our instructors are very involved with your training every step of the way, we are not a drop in whenever you feel like, and go at your own pace with no supervision kind of school.
Our Guarantee. Fine Art Bartending guarantee’s you will be a great bartender at the end of our course. If you don’t feel confident at the end of the 8 days, you can come back through right away, or at a later date, as many times as you want until you do feel confident, at no additional charge.
Our Staff. We have by far, the most experienced instructors & management in Canada. We have small class sizes and to allow an excellent student/instructor ratio. You will not get lost in the crowd of students at Fine Art.
Reputation. Fine Art has been in business since 1973 and has 9 locations across Canada. More managers & owners recognize the Fine Art Certificate over any other. We have the most recognized certificate in the industry across the country.
Do I need to pay in advance, or put down a deposit to reserve a spot in the course?
We ask that you put down a $100.00 deposit to guarantee that you will have a spot in an upcoming class. Because we limit the amount of students that we take in each class, sometimes classes will fill up early. If you have a special situation, for example, you are waiting for a payday that occurs halfway through the course, we are fairly flexible, you just need to give us a call, and we can make an arrangement to delay payment, no problem. If you are not comfortable using your credit card online, we are happy to take your info over the phone, or make alternate arrangements for payment, in any of these cases, please call our office at 866-881-6699
How can I make a deposit?
1. You can either register online through our website and pay by Visa, MC or INTERAC Online
2. Call into our head office and pay over the phone by Visa or MC: 866-881-6699
3. Or come into the school and pay by Visa, MC, Debit or Cash. Please call ahead first and make sure we have available space: 866-881-6699
Are there any other costs, or charges?
All taxes, text books, course materials and your diploma are built into the price of the course. There are no other fees for the course.
Do I receive a Certificate after completing the course?
Yes! After completing our Commercial Bartending course you receive a Commercial Bartending Certificate that shows prospective employers you are ready to jump behind the bar, without months of costly on the job training.
Do Bartenders make a lot of money?
Bartenders can make a great income. It mostly depends on where you work. If you work at a slower bar, with not as many customers, you will make anywhere form $30-$70 a shift in tips, plus your hourly wage. As you gain more experience & knowledge, and get better jobs, you can make more and more, anywhere from $200 to $500 a night in tips. You will make enough to pay for your tuition within your first week behind the bar.
Is it easy to find a job? Do you offer job placement?
The hospitality industry hasn’t stopped growing despite the slowdowns in other industries. The hospitality industry has a very high rate of turn over. While bars rarely advertise for staff we know that they are always looking for good staff. We teach you all the in’s & outs of finding work, from putting together a resume, right through to interview skills. While we can’t guarantee job placement, we do place graduates in restaurants & bars quite frequently. Graduates also have access to our Job Board where we will post the most current job opens that become available.
How big are the classes?
We offer small classes for all our courses which provide an excellent instructor/student ratio.
Is the certificate recognized worldwide, or by other organizations?
While Fine Art offers the most complete bartender training program in North America, there is really no universally recognized, worldwide standard for Bartender training. However, Fine Art has pioneered the standard of training in Canada and has trained over 35,000 bartenders since 1973. Our certificate is the most recognized, well-known certificate in the industry. More owners & managers recognize the Fine Art name than any other.
Do I need my “Bartending Licence” to work in the industry?
Although it is not mandatory to have a bartending certification to serve, more and more establishments and employers require you to have a "bartending certification" or "bartending license" in order to be considered for employment. Owners & managers recognize that the training you receive in a bartending school replaces months of costly on the job training.
What happens if I have to miss a class?
Our day and evening classes run on the same class schedule, so if you are enrolled in the day class, and have an appointment, and you cannot make it in, we may be able to accommodate you in the evening class that same day (which would cover the same material), or the other way around.
I have absolutely no experience in the Bar/Restaurant/Hospitality industry, is this a problem?
Not at all, our course is designed to take you through all aspects bartending, right from the beginning.
Is it a really intense course?
We turn out really good bartenders at Fine Art, and to be really good bartender upon graduation, it does require some effort. You will have lots of fun, and you will have to pay attention and focus. It's like most things in life. You get out of it, what you put into it. We provide some of the best training in the business by the best instructors in the business. Those who follow our course curriculum will turn out to be excellent bartenders.
What if I don’t feel confident, or want to repeat the course?
We guarantee you will be a great bartender at the end of our course, if you don’t feel 100% confident, you can re-take the course at any time, free of charge. The only time there would be any sort of fee for retaking the course is if we have done a substantial update to our textbook (it happens about once every 6 months), only then we would expect you to purchase a new textbook for a very small fee. We also offer free re-fresher courses to past students. All we require is some sort of proof you took the course previously, a certificate or receipt. We do not have years of student records we can look up your previous registration in.
Will there be lots of studying and homework?
There is a small amount of homework, maybe 10-15 min each night, many students complete it in-class during lunch or a break.
What do I need to bring with me to class?
Bring a pen and a note book, we supply you with a textbook that you can write notes in as well. We recommend closed-toe shoes, not sandals, or flip flops, in case a glass gets broken.
How much of the course is theory and how much is practical?
Our course is about 25% theory, and 75% practical. You will spend most of your time up behind the bar, working through various techniques, practicing your skills, filling drink orders, learning how to deal with customers, etc.
Can I visit the school?
Yes, you are always welcome to visit our school. We are open Monday to Thursday, from 11am to 4pm for our day class, we are closed between 4pm and 6pm, then we open again from 6pm-9:30pm for our evening class. We are closed Fridays & Sundays. We are open Saturdays from 11am to 5pm. We operate fairly small classes, and there is usually only 1 instructor at the school, so if you catch us in the middle of a lecture, come in, have a seat, and we will get to you within a few minutes.
Do you have to be 19 to take the course?
No you do not have to be 19 to take our course. If you are 18 or older, you are welcome to enroll. The minimum age to bartend in BC and Saskatchewan is 19, but it is 18 or younger in other Provinces & Countries.
Do I need a High School Diploma? Or are there any pre-requisites required to take the course?
There are no pre-requisites required to attend our courses
I am hoping to Travel and Bartend in a different country, will your course be helpful with this?
Yes, Bartending is a great skill to have if you would like to see the world. We have a section of the course devoted to this very topic. We also have former students working all over the world. In the past year alone, our graduates have found work all across Canada, the U.S., Cayman Islands, Mexico, Central America, Ireland, England, Korea, Japan, China, France, Sweden, and many are working in Australia. We also have several students working on various cruise lines.