The Opportunity
Platz Beer Garden is a one-of-a-kind gathering place in the heart of downtown Keene, NH, built inside a beautifully restored 150-year-old High Victorian Gothic church steps from Central Square. With roughly 20 rotating taps, curated wines, German-inspired fare, live music, and a restored sanctuary that seats up to 150, Platz is something Keene has never seen before.
We operate as a cashless and tipless establishment, paying our team fair living wages and creating a transparent, respectful workplace. We believe hospitality done right starts from the inside out.
We Are Not a Cocktail Bar
We pour draft beer, packaged beer, wine, and ready-to-drink canned cocktails. There is no made-to-order cocktail program. No shaking, no muddling, no spirits list.
What we want instead is depth. Deep knowledge of beer from around the world. Real hands-on command of a direct draw draft system. Genuine fluency in wine. Those three things are what we will ask you about, and they are what will make you great at this job.
On the beer
Platz is a German-inspired beer garden in a city with a partner-city relationship with Einbeck, Germany, the historic birthplace of bock. Guests will ask you what a doppelbock is, why a kölsch is not quite a lager, and what makes a märzen a festbier. Roughly 20 taps rotate, so the answer changes every week. You are the reason someone tries a rauchbier for the first time and comes back for it.
On the draft system
We run direct draw with short lines. That system is honest and unforgiving: get the cooler temperature, gas pressure, line resistance, and faucet balance right and it pours beautifully. There is no draft tech on call. That is you, and if that sentence excites you rather than worries you, we should talk.
On the wine
The wine list is curated, not enormous, and it has to work next to bratwurst and pretzels. We want someone who can take a guest from “I usually drink red” to a glass they are genuinely happy with, and who treats storage, preservation, and temperature as part of the job rather than fussiness.
About the Tipless Thing
A big Saturday at a tipped bar can beat a single shift here. What we offer instead is a number that does not move. It does not drop when the room is slow, when the college empties out for the summer, when the weather turns, or when you get put on a Tuesday. There is no tip pool, no tip-out, and no competing with your coworkers for the good shifts.
It also changes what the job is. You are not paid to turn drinks fast. You are paid to pour it right, know what you are pouring, and teach the person across the bar something. That is a different job, and for the right person it is a much better one.
What You’ll Do
Lead the front of house
- Run the room as manager on duty when the General Manager is off.
- Supervise bartenders, barbacks, and floor staff, and hold the service standard across the room.
- Build the front-of-house schedule to cover live music, events, and seasonal swings, within labor targets.
- Teach the team. Run pre-shift on what is new so every bartender can sell the list, because a tap list nobody can describe is a tap list that does not move.
- Own responsible service on the floor: identification, intoxication, and knowing when to say no.
Watch the numbers
- Count inventory honestly, keep pars accurate, and manage keg deposits and returns.
- Track pour cost, price to target margin, and flag variances before they become a problem.
Build the beverage program
- Assist the General Manager with the tap list and wine selections, inside an agreed budget and style framework.
- Balance roughly 20 taps across German and European anchors, New Hampshire and New England beers, price and ABV range, seasonal rotation, cider, and solid non-alcoholic and low-ABV options.
- Manage rotation and freshness so nothing on the wall goes tired.
- Help curate the wine list and the ready-to-drink selections, and make the RTDs feel like a real choice rather than a fallback.
- Taste with distributors and breweries, and bring us recommendations with reasoning behind them.
- Build the beverage side of tastings, beer dinners, Oktoberfest, Mardi Gras, and private events.
Own the draft system
- Pour and taste every line daily, and pull anything that is not right.
- Balance gas pressure, cooler temperature, and faucets so the pour is correct rather than compensated for.
- Run and document a disciplined line cleaning schedule to industry standard.
- Tap and troubleshoot the coupler variety our imports require, and manage gas safely.
- Track keg yield and waste, and know why the number is what it is.
Who You Are
- You have three or more years in beverage-focused service and have led a shift or a team. Bar, taproom, bottle shop, wine bar, or distributor experience all count.
- You can actually talk about beer, in depth, especially German and European styles.
- You have worked on draft systems: balancing, line cleaning, gas, couplers, troubleshooting. Direct draw is a plus.
- You know wine well enough to guide a guest and to store and serve it properly.
- You stay calm and decisive when the room is full.
- You hold current New Hampshire alcohol service management certification or are willing to get it.
- You are comfortable in a cashless operation and with POS, scheduling, and inventory tools.
Compensation and Benefits
- Pay. $25 to $30 per hour depending on experience and certification, overtime eligible.
- No tip dependency. Your hourly rate is your pay, every week, in every season.
- Time off. Paid time off.
- Discounts. Staff discounts on food, beverages, and merchandise.
- Education. Required certification on us, plus support toward Cicerone and wine certifications.
- Buying influence. You help decide what goes on roughly 20 taps and on the wine list.
- A real voice. Small, collaborative team with direct access to ownership, in a building people will still be talking about in fifty years.
About Platz Beer Garden
34 Court Street in Keene, NH has stood for more than 150 years. Built in 1869 as a High Victorian Gothic church, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was named one of New Hampshire’s “Seven to Save” in 2009.
After a careful, years-long restoration, including the reclamation of original pews into bar tops, altar wood into the stage, and historic woodwork repurposed throughout the space, this building is now Platz Beer Garden.
We are a gathering place. Community first, always.
https://Platz.Beer
Platz Beer Garden is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive team that reflects the community we serve.
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Paid time off
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
