Bartenders reveal what ‘secret’ number codes actually mean

For anyone who has never worked in the service industry, we're about to reveal some eye-opening truths behind the number codes bartenders use to communicate to one another.

And some may leave you a little surprised!

Of course, it goes without saying that bartending certainly isn't the easiest job out there - with the endurance of late nights, long hours and difficult (and usually drunk) customers, it's certainly no walk in the park.

It's also an incredibly fast-paced job too, meaning bartenders strongly rely on communication to get the job done as efficiently as possible - which is where the number codes come in.

While many number codes are strictly related to the job and are used to quickly communicate what the bartender needs in that moment, many codes are actually used as a way to talk the customers - all without them having a scooby what's going on.

So, let's begin with the basics, shall we?

Getty Images/Stock Photo

As shown in a resurfaced Reddit thread, the original poster explained: "A while ago I was told of a 'bartenders code' which consisted of various numbers that were used to represent things on the bar either secretly or quickly between staff."

A few examples of some quick number codes are:

• 86 - Ran out of something / cutting off a drunk customer.
• 68 - The 86'd product is now back in stock.
• 50 - Throwing something at you to catch - such as a bottle of spirit.
• 200 - Customer waiting at the bar.

And as for the more cheeky number codes?

• 700 - Hottie at the bar (So if you hear this being yelled when you next walk into a bar, give yourself a pat on the back).
• Shoes - A very attractive woman.
• 303 - Looks old enough to be your grandfather/mother.
• 601 - Going for a wee.
• 602 - Going for a poo.

Of course, these codes are all just claimed to be legit by people who've worked in the service industry, and every establishment will have different codes or ways of working amongst their teams.

But plenty of people on Reddit seem keen to back up these claims.

Getty Images/Stock Photo

One said: "We use 'shoes' to mean an attractive woman. The bar I used to work in was frequented by bartenders a lot, so we changed that to 'garnishes'."

And another, who claimed to have worked at McDonald's, added: "You could only cook eight burgers at a time, so if an attractive person walked in, staff would should 'cheese on nine'.

"Then you'd just see five or six heads pop up from behind the fryer."

So, next time you're out in a bar, it might be wise to keep a listen out for the odd '700' being shouted here and there...