17th
Annual
Bartender Photos
by
Chris Douglas
Polk’s Beloved Bartender feature story started with the very first edition of the magazine and due to its popularity, the voting aspect became a staple component a few years later. Throughout the contest’s history, the magazine has collected more than 40,000 votes from dedicated readers wanting to recognize their favorite hospitality professionals. This contest has quickly become our way of saying “thank you” to the men and women who work hard each day to provide superior customer service. Typically, this popular issue was always featured in July to mark its first edition on the streets of Polk County. Fast forward 16 years to March 2020, no one would have ever thought that our hospitality industry would have been shut down mid-day on a popular holiday that typically packed the bars and restaurants in celebration. Thanks to the coronavirus, COVID-19, the hospitality industry was devastated leaving its employees to struggle with non-employment for an undetermined about of time. This coincided with the same time that our usual voting began. With such uncertainty looming, we decided to continue allowing votes to trickle in as we all learned what the “new normal” would be. As a company, we also had to decide the best way to move forward, transitioning to an online magazine, as well as how to honor an industry in a chaotic time. Deciding to hold off on our Polk’s Beloved Bartenders issue was the best outcome. Now, over a year later,
8 OCTOBER 2021
we are finally seeing a ray of light through the clouds. The hospitality industry in slowly making positive grounds, and patrons are feeling more comfortable with getting back to their favorite “watering holes”. It’s been a tough road for all, but we have become a stronger community with a lot of great procedures now implemented to continue with health and safety as a priority. 2021 marks our 17th Anniversary as Polk County’s premiere dining and entertainment magazine and it has been our pleasure to bring so many amazing stories and destinations to our pages. Over the years, our writers followed the careers of rising music stars, watched new businesses thrive and shared their unique perspective on this beautiful community. We are proud to be the publication that weaves entertainment, dining, events and more into a dynamic fabric that is truly vibrant and local! This year, we put a little twist on the Polk’s Beloved Bartenders issue by releasing it during October as the
Halloween Edition. We encourage our readers to get out and explore the wonderful hospitality industry Polk County has to offer and say hello to our winners. Finally, we want to take the time to thank our advertisers, readers and supporters for the wonderful memories and 17 YEARS of continued success. Today & Tonight Magazine is the pulse of Polk County and we are committed to providing Central Florida with the best possible local entertainment and event news. Start the drum roll… Today & Tonight Magazine presents the 17th Annual Polk County Beloved Bartenders Winners…
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