Spirited Business

Bombshell Barmaids New York

You may not know what a sustainable bartending service is, but Jill Kano does. Kano is the founder and president of Bombshell Barmaids NYC. She spent years working in the hospitality industry before she realized that there had to be a better way. She saw the waste that came from the industry and decided that it was time for a change. “I come from a background in hospitality management. I worked in several bars, restaurants, and hotels where I observed the magnitude of waste that this industry produces,” says Kano. As far as Kano knows, hers is the only staffing company to offer sustainable product services in New York City. “Not only will we provide you with sophisticated bartenders, but we also come equipped to take all fruit garnishes for weekly composting at a local farmer’s market and take any empty bottles, cans, and containers for recycling so you won’t have to worry about them being disposed of irresponsibly.” Kano didn’t start reducing her carbon footprint on a whim, though. She studied Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University. Prior to that, she studied Hospitality and Management at UNLV. Her goal is to create a more eco-friendly bar environment for everyone. “I realized that although industry efforts were good, more had to be done and I wanted to be at the forefront of the movement.” Once she got laid off from her day job and started bartending, she decided that the time was right for her to start her own company. “I became a martini-shaking pseudo-psychologist,” she says. She thought about where she was in her life and what she was going to do with her hefty $100K tab from Columbia. She decided to combine her hospitality savvy with her environmental education to start “greening the bar industry”. Bombshell Barmaids NYC is a bartending-specific staffing company. Even though their primary service is bartending, they also provide food servers, cocktailing, door greeters, custom crafted cocktail lists, theme parties with custom outfits, distribution of eco-friendly bar products, temporary staffing for bars and clubs and bartending management and consulting. “I hire girls that are either already in the industry or have bartended in the past,” says Kano. “Many of the girls do promotional modeling and promote highly recognized liquor brands. Most of the girls are pursuing their education and have other full-time jobs. We are marketing a brand, which is not just another beautiful bombshell pouring drinks, but a woman who has built or is building a career.” Kano’s Bombshells are smart, witty, hard-working individuals who provide interactive conversation. To become a bombshell barmaid, one must be energetic, social, provide creative ideas and conversation, and be able to make a great-tasting drink with limited ingredients. “Bombshells provide all this with grace and beauty and do it without being afraid to get their hands dirty,” she says. “These girls lug ice, carry heavy equipment, cut fruit, stack glasses and stock product while doing it quickly and neatly, at the same time speaking to the client, and “poof” - there is a fantastic drink at the end of the process.”

By Christopher Osburn

“I became a martini shaking pseudo-psychologist ”

For more information about Bombshell Barmaids email Jill@bombshellbarmaidsnyc.com