1 A.M.: Bartender enjoys his time at O'Kelly's
O’Kelly’s Bar and Grill was at capacity at 1 a.m. Saturday, keeping bartender Jared Nieswender extra busy.
Not that he minded.
“What better job can you ask for than getting people drunk, having a good time and listening to music?” he said. “It’s usually a pretty good time when people are having fun.”
The Hillsdale alumnus has worked at O’Kelly’s Bar and Grill for about a year.
He kept a smile on his face as he served the local residents, students and alumni who crowded the bar, 2000 S. Mission St.
“Sometimes, there’s that one person who can really make your night a little bit worse than what you wanted to, but you just gotta keep smiling,” he said. “We’re in the service industry — you gotta make people happy.”
While his nights are long and fast-paced, he said they are fun, and Homecoming particularly brought back a lot of friends and familiar faces.
Nieswender and the other bartenders stepped around each other behind the bar with practiced, care, deftly pouring beers, shots and drinks.
He said in five minutes, he might pour 40 tequila shots, 20 Johnny Vegas’s and 40 Bud Lights.
O’Kelly’s owner John Hunter said he hired Nieswender after getting to know him as a regular customer.
“He’s been part of our family, our group here and he’s been great,” Hunter said. “Jared’s a very down-to-earth guy, he’s very social with customers and that’s a good thing. He comes to work ready to go all the time.”
Bartenders must be the life of a party and Jared has that, he said.
Nieswender even met his girlfriend through O’Kelly’s.
“It’s funny how the world goes around,” Hunter said.
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