–by Mary Helen Darah
PUBLICATION DATE: April 01, 2021

Sylvania Northview graduate Tim Revard can add entrepreneur to his list of accomplishments. Revard received his bachelor’s in business administration and MBA from The University of Toledo, and is the Director of the Lucas County Office of Management and Budget. He, along with wife Jaime, a third-grade teacher, are also the proud owners of On The Rocks Bartending.
Revard has long had visions of owning a small business. “I was inspired to create the company because owning a small business is something I always wanted to do,” he stated. “My wife and I served as bartenders at large events such as ZooToDo, local charities, fundraisers and at wedding receptions. We saw an opportunity to take on these commitments from an ownership standpoint and work directly with clients on making the vision for their special event come to life. This has been a very personally rewarding business for me. Our team is able to deliver a high level of service to our clients and their guests and ensure the beverage service portion of the event is covered from all angles.”
On The Rocks Bartending specializes in providing professional bartending services at wedding receptions, graduation parties, corporate events, fundraisers and private events. “We offer an experienced and attentive full-service bartending staff, and can accommodate events of all sizes,” said Revard. “We also offer beer, wine, and liquor estimates for our clients, and assist with specialty drink recommendations.  The On The Rocks Bartending mobile bar allows for ultimate flexibility in terms of bar placement at any venue. The bar was custom designed and is a focal point at any event.”  

Many of the On The Rocks Bartending staff have TAM certification. “TAM stands for Techniques of Alcohol Management,” explained Revard. “It is a certification program designed to train liquor service employees in ways to prevent accidental over-serving, the sale of alcohol to minors, violating liquor laws, identifying and responding to false identification and more. The safety of our clients and their guests is our absolute number one priority at each event, and this certification is another step taken towards our continuous improvement efforts and increased knowledge and awareness for our bartending staff.  We want to ensure a safe and fun event for everyone in attendance. Also, I would like to point out that some of our servers have meaningful day jobs in education, nursing, customer service and finance. This diverse set of backgrounds is an asset to the company and helps to make for a well-rounded team.”
Revard first holds a personal consultation with clients before their events. “We review the timeline of the event, specialty drink requests, alcohol quantity estimates, the age range of the guests in attendance and any other special notes or requests from the client.  This is an important step in the process to ensure that the client and I are on the same page and that we are ensuring all of their expectations are met from start to finish,” he said. “Of course, there are still a few fun miscommunications at times.” He recalled, “I once received a request for ‘Jack on the rocks with no ice’.  I prepared the drink ‘neat’ (no ice), and the guest was satisfied. I wasn’t sure if it was a trick order, but I did chuckle when I handed the drink to the guest and repeated his order, ‘Jack on the rocks with no ice!’”

It is recommended that people contact On The Rocks Bartending well in advance of their event. According to Revard, this helps the entire process from a planning perspective for both he and the client and secures the date and bartenders for the event. He and his crew of experienced bartenders have served at numerous functions including events at the Toledo Zoo, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Man and Woman of the Year Event in 2019, multiple events for the University of Toledo Foundation, wedding receptions and other private events in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. As more things are beginning to open, the company has already booked five weddings in 2022.
The company looks forward to the future and whether guests enjoy things “neat,” “dry,” “up,” or a “shooter,” “sour,” or “shot,” On The Rocks has them covered, or shaken or stirred as the case may be. Revard stated, “We would like to continue expanding, keeping our client’s wishes as our core focus and help provide a safe, enjoyable atmosphere of fun.”