FIRST: Matt Yunk 

Matt Yunk has worked at Zephyr Pub on 106 W. Main St. for about three years.

Yunk spends most of his evenings pouring green tea shots, vodka sodas and vodka cranberry cocktails, but the job can be quite demanding.

“It’s just dealing with a lot of volume,” he said. “It’s a job where you have to balance a lot of things at the same time and kind of keep a positive attitude in the face of stress, but overall, it’s very gratifying and rewarding.”

Still, Yunk’s favorite part of the job is interacting with the customers.

“It’s hard to know everybody when you have 300 people in the bar on a Saturday night,” Yunk said. “But the more and more people come back, the more they become like a great set of family and community.”

SECOND: Adam Poluga 

Adam Poluga has been a bartender for 27 years and now owns Dominick’s on 147 Franklin Ave. Despite having the responsibilities of owning a bar, he still bartends.

“My typical shifts aren’t like everybody else’s,” he said. “I’m in and out throughout the day. I’m here in the mornings and the evenings, so my shifts are a little longer than most people’s.”

The most popular drink Poluga sells is the Dom Bomb, a vodka-based Red Bull shot.

Even with his busy schedule, he doesn’t face many challenges.

“Everybody is very nice and very respectful, so I really don’t have any challenges,” he said.

THIRD: Mike Haney

Mike Haney has been a bartender for over 10 years and works at Water Street Tavern on 132 S. Water St.

The most popular drink he sells is the Golden Flash. It has Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Blue Curacao, ginger ale and lemonade.

“Water Street is the college bar,” he said. “It’s like a nod-off to our Kent State roots.”

Haney loves the atmosphere of his work environment.

 “I love the people who come in that we get to see every week,” Haney said. “Sometimes, there are groups of people that we see a couple times a week.”

Gavin Mitten is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].