Josh Jones from The Social approaches life, work (and this interview) with a solid sense of humor.
Photo by: Amy Tucker
Interview by: Dan Mathers
So, how long have you been at The Social? Coming up on three years.
That’s right around the time they switched locations, right? Yup. I started right after the move.
What brought you in? They needed some more bartenders now that they were in the new place. I was a regular at the old spot, and I got to know the guys. It seemed like an easy fit.
Were you bartending somewhere else at the time? Yeah. I worked at West Chester Country Club.
Now, I don’t wanna denigrate country club life, but I’d assume coming to a proper bar was a step up? I think it was — I like this better. It’s nowhere near as monotonous. I think seeing new faces here all the time might be one of my favorite parts of the job.
Do you get a lot of new people coming in? Oh yeah, definitely. I feel like every night I make a new friend.
And there’s a good number of regulars, right? And all of them are pretty cool, actually. I honestly can’t say there’s any of them that I dislike.
I’d say you’re lucky — it’s rare to like everyone at work. I don’t know if I’d say I’m lucky; I think it’s just easy for me to get along with people.
Does that make you a better bartender? Oh yes. I’d say it’s one of my better qualities.
Then what’s your BEST quality? Hmm. That’s a hard one to nail down. I feel like I’m just good at making drinks because I drink a lot, and I know what tastes good.
What’s your personal go-to? Simple stuff. Dewars if I’m mixing with soda, but I might treat myself to a nice McCallan 12 every once in a while if I’m drinking it straight.
What sets The Social apart? Our menu. There aren’t many restaurants in town, or the region, that have Southern scratch cooking. And we consistently have live music.
What’s the live music like? Generally some funk stuff — Jeff Washington, The Sermon!. And we’ve been experimenting with the DJ thing, bringing someone in every now and then.
Do you still hang out there when you’re not working? Nowhere near as much as I used to, but I do still come in. For some people, the last thing you wanna do is go back to your work, but the food is so good, and I love the guys I work with.
When do you work? I’m there every night except Monday and Tuesday.
That’s a lot of shifts for a bartender. Does it get to be tiring? I guess so? There are days I come in and I’m tired, but I usually get into the job pretty quickly. You never work a day in your life if you do what you love… That’s a thing people say, right?
Read the rest of the article in our October “Kids Friendly” issue!
