Attitudes and Practices Regarding Responsible Beverage Service: Focus Group Discussions With Bar and Restaurant Management and Staff

Abstract

Staff and management of bars and restaurants are the key players in assuring responsible beverage service (RBS) and preventing the overservice of alcohol to intoxicated patrons. We conducted six focus group discussions ( N = 42) with management and staff from bars and restaurants about RBS. We compared findings from these current discussions to results of focus group discussions conducted in the 1990s. In comparison to the earlier focus group discussions, we found that many managers and staff members had experience with RBS training programs, establishments generally had written alcohol service policies, and managers and staff members perceived greater likelihood of facing consequences from law enforcement for serving underage youth. Managers and servers also expressed greater concern about overservice of alcohol but did not report greater concern about potential legal consequences for overservice of alcohol than participants from the 1990s focus groups. Results of this study can inform training and enforcement approaches to addressing overservice of alcohol.