Professional bartender breaks through doom and gloom delivering cocktails to peoples doorsteps

Amid the doom and gloom of the coronavirus epidemic, one Pardubice bar is trying to stay afloat and spread some good cheer among its clients. Cocktails are delivered to people’s homes with all the trimmings.

With a partial lockdown in place in the country, pubs, cafés and bars remain closed, with only takeaway operations allowed. While some have closed down altogether, due to the low interest in takeaways, others are valiantly fighting to keep their clients –by offering home delivery.

“Club 29” in the town of Pardubice has gone even further and is now delivering mixed drinks to client’s doorsteps. “Customers choose a cocktail from our drink list on the Internet and order it online or by phone,” professional bartender Kristián Šplíchal explains. We accept orders between 5 and 7 pm after which we deliver them to people's homes at the desired time.

Kristián says that he tries to provide clients with the authentic experience. When he has prepared and bottled the mixed drinks, he will deliver them with ice and fruit decorations –with all the trimmings - just as clients would get the cocktail in the bar. "It's actually the only way our customers can enjoy cocktails in the quality we offer," he explains. Making up for the loss of social contacts is a bit more difficult, at a time when people are advised to stay home and minimize contacts outside the family circle.

Kristián himself says that he misses the daily chats with regulars. “The contact between the bartender and the client is very important, it is mainly about communication and I miss it a lot now. But if someone wants a chat along with their cocktail, I will take the time to talk to them on the phone,” he laughs.

The cafes and restaurants that are still operating on a take-away basis say it’s not for the profit because so few people are out and about these days. The main aim to maintain contact with regulars in the hope that they will come back in better times.