Bethany Evans, a bartender at Bumsted’s Diner on Fourth Avenue, gave the Daily Wildcat some insight regarding the day-to-day life of a downtown barkeep. Evans reveals a unique accomplishment of her own, as well as Bumsted’s own traditions and customers.
The Daily Wildcat: How long have you been bartending?
Bethany Evans: Five years.
How did you end up bartending here?
Let’s see… I got this job my senior year at the [UA]. I started out as a server and worked my way up to the bar from there.
Do you have a favorite drink to make?
Yeah, I like making Manhattans. Manhattans and Bloody Marys.
Do you have a most memorable customer?
Oh my gosh, I’ll have to think about that one. I have a lot of stories.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen go down at a bar?
Oh, some of them I couldn’t even say because they’re not fit to print. I’ve seen people fall asleep at tables, all sorts of crazy stuff. “The Dating Game” is always pretty memorable.
What’s that?
We do a show once a month called “The Dating Game,” and we get like three contestants, and they can’t see the bachelor. He asks them questions [and] then picks one to go on a date with based off their answers to the questions. That’s always memorable.
Do you have any fun anecdotes?
In 2013 I won the Guinness Perfect Pint pour-off. I have a trophy! So they have this contest once a year for pouring Guinness, and that was the first one in Tucson. So you are speaking to an award-winning Guinness pourer, which my parents are super proud of!
What do you appreciate in a customer?
I would say respect is the number-one thing that I appreciate—and decisiveness. Like if you don’t want to annoy the bartender, never go to the bar and not know what you want to drink. Like, I like it when someone’s like, “I want this.” Ya know? ’Cause that makes my job easier. If they’re having a good time, I’m having a good time.
… I thought of a memorable customer. He was a regular that would come in every karaoke night, and he would always sing, like, classic Motown songs, and he would always dedicate them to the bartenders working and like bring down the house. He was so sweet, and he would give people rides home and stuff because he didn’t drink at all. He actually passed away this past summer. His name was Berney Starks. Pretty much anyone who’s gone to karaoke in Tucson knows who he was and remembers him, for sure.
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