Lisa Mack started bartending at Arnold’s Lounge in 1998. In the ensuing 19 years, she’s since become the manager, responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the bar. She got her start, however, as a bartender in an upscale restaurant in Rocky Point, New York after she graduated high school and before starting college. “My dad always told me to go to college and pursue a career. Pursue a dream,” she says. “But always have a back-up plan. That three-month period before I went to college was probably the most valuable education I’ve ever had.”
You don’t spend nearly 20 years working anywhere without developing a strong sense of pride in what you do and where you do it, and Lisa is no exception. She’s proud of the fact that Arnold’s is known as a “hometown” bar. “It’s a ‘where everybody knows your name’ kind of bar,” Lisa says. “We have the same customers day after day and weekend after weekend. We don’t get a lot of tourist traffic here.”
Part of her unwavering dedication to the club comes from a conversation she had with the original owner, Fred Nijman, before he lost his battle with cancer in 2013. “I made a promise to Fred,” she says, “that I would watch out for Arnold’s and watch out for Nicki (Fred’s widow), and I work every day to honor that promise on both fronts.”
But the job is not without its challenges and there are two that Lisa finds hardest to overcome. First, it’s her job to make sure there are people where they need to be when they need to be there. “People get sick or have car trouble. There are all sorts of reasons why someone might miss work.” There’s another challenge which she doesn’t enjoy. “The single most difficult part of my job,” says Lisa, “is having to let someone go. Firing someone is something that never gets easier and it’s something I try to avoid if I can. Thankfully it doesn’t happen very often.”
As if running one of the largest clubs in town isn’t challenging enough, Lisa also owns and operates her own production company, Lisa Mack Productions. In the past, her company has been involved with Rhythm & Ribs, the annual Celtic Festival, and the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, to name just a few.
The skill that makes Lisa — and really anyone — a top-notch bartender, though, isn’t just slinging drinks. “It has to do with being able to carry on a conversation with anybody, whether you know them or not,” says Lisa. “For me, that means staying on top of what’s going on in the world, what’s in the news, or going on in sports. I also try to learn about my customers so I can ask about their kids, their job, or whatever. I think that’s the best skill. It’s letting your customers know that you’re interested in them and their lives and the things that they care about. After all, many of them have been here as long as I have.”
Arnold’s Lounge is located at 3912 North Ponce De Leon Boulevard. Visit them online at www.arnoldslounge.com.
Photography by Steve Parr
