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Raising the Bar
The Pfister Hotel’s BluTender program is helping nonprofits earn money – and serve up drinks.
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n Monday and Tuesday nights at the Pfister Hotel, you might find a CEO tending bar. The Pfister’s Blu sits on the 23rd floor of the legendary hotel, with an unparalleled panoramic view of the city. And weekdays are BluTender nights: Milwaukee organizations book the space for two hours, during which 10% of bar revenue and 100% of tips go to a nonprofit or charity of their choice. During those nights, a “celebrity BluTender” from the sponsoring organization steps behind the bar in lieu of Blu’s regular bartending staff. Are these celebrity BluTenders always masters of the mixed drink? Not exactly. But that’s part of the fun, says Brenda Simonis, the director of food and beverage at The Pfister Hotel. Can your boss whip up a mean mojito? Or is she a daquiri disaster? Most importantly, each organization isn’t 78 milwaukeemag.com
limited to just one celebrity BluTender – in fact, the Pfister encourages multiple. “Organizations that have ‘BluTender Battles’ tend to make the most money,” Simonis says. These cocktail confrontations give the night a fun edge, with bosses squaring off against employees, or dueling departments facing down to see whose martinis drum up the most tips by the end of the night. The winner walks away with bragging rights – and everyone benefits with a good chunk of change for their cause. “Some of the celebrity BluTenders create signature cocktails named after them,” Simonis said. “That’s just another way to make it a memorable night.” Companies like BMO Harris and Baird Wealth have hosted BluTender nights to benefit charitable organizations and nonprofits like United Way and the United Performing Arts Fund. Nonprofits can also
host BluTender nights to raise money for themselves. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure has done that, along with many other smaller groups in Milwaukee. The only requirement is that the organization benefitting from the event be a registered nonprofit – and that there are at least 20 planned attendees. Simonis says many organizations will shut down early for a BluTender night to encourage employees to come – and family and friends are always welcome. She recommends planning the event out three months in advance to provide time for a social media campaign to spread the word. “It’s totally different from your normal fundraising event,” Simonis says. “Everyone loves a happy hour. It’s a great way to socialize while raising money for your cause. And it’s a lot more lively than a silent auction.” ◆
PHOTO: BY TIA BRINDEL
Want to book a BluTender night? Go to bit.ly/blutender to register for a date.