Jägermeister Balanced Bartender: Amie Ward with Keyatta Mincey-Parker
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Balanced Bartender

Stay healthy, Bar Meisters

Amie Ward with Keyatta Mincey-Parker

Website:
The Healthtender

Amie Ward, with Special Guest Keyatta Mincey-Parker

Hello everyone! Welcome to our October Balanced Bartender pep talk. This month, we're in Atlanta, GA, to talking with Keyatta Mincey-Parker, bartender, beverage consultant & Executive Director of Sip of Paradise Garden.


    Tell us about your journey into the hospitality industry.

    My hospitality journey wasn't a conventional one. My first job was as a hostess in a restaurant. I accidentally became a server on a random Saturday when all the servers were scheduled, but one was late and another no-showed. My GM gave me the smoking section (showing my age here, lol). That day I made over 200 dollars and didn't look back. Everyone eventually made it in, but the rush was gone, and I was now a server. I then went on to work at other restaurants, went to college, got married, and worked for a staffing company as an administrative assistant at an accounting firm. Soon I realized that I don't conform well, lol. I took a job with a New Orleans-style Restaurant in Buckhead, an upper-class area at the time. A short time after that, I discovered I was pregnant. My GM there thought I should start serving again to make extra money, and he thought guests would tip a married pregnant woman a lot; he wasn't wrong, lol.

    When I came back from Maternity leave, my GM thought I should train to become a bartender. He thought it would be a good fit because I would have a set schedule as the lunch bartender, and I already know the regular guests and menus back and forth. And that's how I got started on my bartender's journey. I later ended up at a French concept where Eric Simpkins led the bar program. Eric took an interest in me because he was impressed with my knowledge of drinks and spirits, even though I didn't let them know about my bartending background at Trois. I was going through a divorce and was the mom of 2 kids. I didn't want to work late nights to keep some consistency in their life. Eric saw something in me that no one else did. He told me there are not a lot of bartenders doing what he is doing at that level that looked like me, and he wanted to help me with that as his mentee. After a year, I agreed. Now, look at me.

    What was the inspiration behind A Sip of Paradise Garden?

    A Sip of Paradise Garden came off the back of me being a finalist off Bombay Sapphire. A Bartenders community garden was my idea as part of the competition. I just wanted a safe space to play in the dirt with my friends. The simplest idea of having a place for my bar friends and me to be ourselves turned into this.

    Tell us about your journey into the hospitality industry.

    My hospitality journey wasn't a conventional one. My first job was as a hostess in a restaurant. I accidentally became a server on a random Saturday when all the servers were scheduled, but one was late and another no-showed. My GM gave me the smoking section (showing my age here, lol). That day I made over 200 dollars and didn't look back. Everyone eventually made it in, but the rush was gone, and I was now a server. I then went on to work at other restaurants, went to college, got married, and worked for a staffing company as an administrative assistant at an accounting firm. Soon I realized that I don't conform well, lol. I took a job with a New Orleans-style Restaurant in Buckhead, an upper-class area at the time. A short time after that, I discovered I was pregnant. My GM there thought I should start serving again to make extra money, and he thought guests would tip a married pregnant woman a lot; he wasn't wrong, lol.

    When I came back from Maternity leave, my GM thought I should train to become a bartender. He thought it would be a good fit because I would have a set schedule as the lunch bartender, and I already know the regular guests and menus back and forth. And that's how I got started on my bartender's journey. I later ended up at a French concept where Eric Simpkins led the bar program. Eric took an interest in me because he was impressed with my knowledge of drinks and spirits, even though I didn't let them know about my bartending background at Trois. I was going through a divorce and was the mom of 2 kids. I didn't want to work late nights to keep some consistency in their life. Eric saw something in me that no one else did. He told me there are not a lot of bartenders doing what he is doing at that level that looked like me, and he wanted to help me with that as his mentee. After a year, I agreed. Now, look at me.

    What was the inspiration behind A Sip of Paradise Garden?

    A Sip of Paradise Garden came off the back of me being a finalist off Bombay Sapphire. A Bartenders community garden was my idea as part of the competition. I just wanted a safe space to play in the dirt with my friends. The simplest idea of having a place for my bar friends and me to be ourselves turned into this.

    How has the garden continued to impact the ATL hospitality community?

    The garden offers programming to encourage health and wellness, education, and volunteer opportunities for members and the greater Atlanta community. We have Mindful Mondays, providing wellness activities like yoga, meditation, Pilates, and more. We have Workshop Wednesdays, where we host anywhere from composting and planting to local foraging tours. All of these things are geared to the Bar and Hospitality community, but everyone is welcome to come to heal and grow with us.

    Would you be so kind as to provide us with the wellness challenge for the month of October?

    The wellness challenge I want to give is to read a book to sleep and give your mind a break from your phone, TV, and whatever else takes you away, for peace. This is something that was introduced in one of our wellness classes. I really love it. I have so many great books that I forgot about.

    If people wanted to find out more about you and A Sip of Paradise Garden, how can they do so?

    If people want to reach out, please go to our website www.asipofparadisegarden.org and follow us on IG @asipofparadisegarden as well as email us at asipofparadisegarden@gmail.com.

    Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.


    Get to Know
    Keyatta Mincey-Parker
     Keyatta Mincey-Parker

    Keyatta Mincey Parker brings a diverse background of over 20 years in the food service industry that molds hotel expertise with fine dining and the fast pace of dance clubs. Thrillist named Keyatta one of the city’s female bartenders you “MUST KNOW,” along with Tastemakers making her one of the Top 50. Mincey-Parker was featured in the Patron ‘In the Spirit Campaign, Charleston and Atlanta Food and Wine, and BevCon; she also represented Atlanta in the incredible Speed Rack Beat Cancer Competition as well as making the finals for Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender 2020, making top 3. Recently featured in Forbes and Punch Drink, Mincey-Parker, originally from Liberia, adds a touch to cocktail creativity stemming from the ingredients of her childhood for inspiration. Keyatta is currently splitting her focus to work on A Sip of Paradise, a 501c3 nonprofit bartender community garden based in Atlanta.

    IG: @asipofparadisegarden

    Website: A Sip Of Paradise Garden

    Get To Know The Healthtender
    Amie Ward
     Amie Ward

    Amie Ward is a Veteran Bartender, exercise physiologist and has been outspoken on her fellow service industry members' health and wellness. When she is not pulling trucks and training for Strongwoman competitions, you can find Amie appreciating the finer things in life like Jägermeister.

    IG: @thehealthtender

    Website:The Healthtender

    Amie's Bartender Workout
    EXRX for Bartenders

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