33 Years Behind the Bar: James Shrum of Blue Ribbon Brasserie

James Shrum is a bartender at Blue Ribbon Brasserie and the recent recipient of the NYC Hospitality Alliance’s Bartender of the Year Award. He joins the show to discuss the challenges of running a bar in New York City, the lessons he’s learned over his years at Blue Ribbon, and the importance of creating an environment that makes both patrons and employees want to stick around. In this conversation we explore the recent trends in NYC nightlife, the business side of running a bar, and what James has seen from his time behind the bar.https://www.thenycalliance.org/https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/ 0:00 - Intro0:45 - Who is James Shrum?3:33 - Blue Ribbon Brasserie13:34 - The restaurant industry from a bartender’s perspective18:27 - The skills James has learned over his time bartending24:08 - The business side of running a bar27:30 - How has the business changed from James’ perspective34:00 - The regulatory challenges of running a bar in NYC43:00 - Creating an environment where people want to stay53:03 - James winning the NYC Hospitality Alliance’ Bartender of the Year Award#newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness