Bartender

Bartender - Phase Three Brewing - Chicago

Location: 3057 N. Rockwell St., Chicago, IL 60618 

Type: Full-time and part-time positions available 

Pay: $12.96/hr plus tips from a team tip pool 

Start date: November 18, 2026 preferred 

Benefits: Paid leave for all team members, plus health benefits for full-time (30+ hours a week)

Phase Three Brewing started in the Chicago suburbs with one goal: make world-class beer and give people a reason to stay for another round. That turned into a production brewery in Lake Zurich, a full taproom and kitchen in Elmhurst, and a beer list built on a wide array of styles that trace back to our founder's early years working in brewpubs.

Chicago has been on our minds since day one. It's one of the great beer cities in the country, and now we get to be part of it, at Rockwell on the River, right on the North Branch of the Chicago River. We'll keep a few things under wraps for now. What we can tell you is that this one means a lot to us, and the people we hire will decide what it becomes.

We want this to be the taproom people point to when they explain why craft beer matters. That starts with the people who turn on the lights every shift and pour every pint.

How this job works

We don't have servers. We have bartenders who own the whole room.

On a given shift you'll pour at the bar, then walk the floor to clear a table, run a flight, and talk someone through the barrel program before they've finished deciding. Guests can order from a QR code at their table, and that's just one option. However they order, it should feel like the same great service. The goal is simple: nobody should have to get up and wait in line for their next beer because nobody noticed they were empty.

That only works if the team moves together. Slow Tuesday or a packed Saturday, you read the room and go where you're needed, without being asked. That's why tips are pooled across the whole team: everyone works the room, and everyone shares in it.

What you'll do

• Pour, serve, and talk about beer with real knowledge: styles, hops, process, what's new on tap, and why it tastes the way it does
• Work the floor: greet tables, take orders, run drinks, bus glassware, and reset tables so the room is always ready for the next group
• Help guests find their beer. Ask what they like, offer a taste, build a flight, and make a first-timer feel as comfortable as a regular
• Keep an eye on every table, not just your section, and get to empty glasses before guests have to come to you
• Keep the bar and floor clean, stocked, and organized through the shift, including glassware, draft lines, and closing duties
• Check IDs and serve responsibly, every time
• Help with private events and Ambassador member events
• Learn the systems: POS, QR ordering, and opening and closing procedures

What you need

Required

• Craft beer experience of some kind: a brewery, taproom, beer bar, bottle shop, or homebrewing you can talk about in detail
• Current Illinois BASSET certification at the time you apply
• 21 years of age or older
• Availability for nights, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to stand and walk for a full shift and lift up to 50 lbs

Preferred

• Cicerone certification (Certified Beer Server or higher)
• 2–3 years in hospitality, ideally somewhere busy enough that you learned to stay calm and keep moving
• Toast POS experience
• Start date of November 18, 2026

What matters most and can't be taught

Attitude. You think about the night from the guest's side of the bar. You notice the person who's been waiting, the table that's out of water, the couple who seems unsure what to order. You'd rather fix something than explain why it isn't your job. If that sounds like you, we can teach you everything else.

Where this can go

This is a new location, and the people who open it will shape what it becomes. A full food program is planned for late 2027, which will open up new roles as the team grows.

We're also hiring shift leads from this group. If you want to be considered, say so in your cover letter and tell us why: what you've led before, or what you'd do with the chance.

How to apply

Email your resume and a short cover letter to [email protected], and answer the five questions below. Keep each answer to a few sentences. We read every one, and we care more about how you think than how you write.

1. What's a beer that surprised you recently, and why?
2. What's the best service you've ever had as a guest, and what made it stand out?
3. When you walk into a busy bar or taproom, what's the first thing you notice?
4. Why Phase Three, and why this opening?
5. Pick a beer you love, ours or anyone's, and describe it the way you would to a guest who's never had craft beer.

Quick logistics

• Can you start on or around November 18? (Yes/No)
• Which days and shifts are you available? (Weekday days, weekday nights, weekends, late nights)
• Any dates you're unavailable through January?

In your email subject line, include your favorite beer style. It tells us you read this far.

If you'd like to be considered for shift lead, say so in your cover letter.

Phase Three Brewing Company is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based on merit and welcome applicants of every background.