Bob Scharf—The Face of TCB
Walking into TCB’s, the local pool hall in Iowa City, you will find a lot of recognizable things. A crowd of people huddled around a pool table wondering who will make the next shot, the regulars sitting at the bar reminiscing about their days, the sound of pucks hitting each other as people play on the full size shuffleboard, and the Elvis statue decorated with beads overlooking the bar. Bob Scharf knows these familiarities quite well.
Scharf not only has been a bartender at TCB’s the past three years, but also a full time student majoring in Interdepartmental Studies and Management Information Systems at the Tippie College of Business. Being a bartender and a full time student can be challenge.
“Usually if I am working the bar I’ll be here till about three in the morning,” said Scharf. “I have school during the day and I also have my two jobs where I work here and for the Center for Disabilities and Development doing informational technology work.”
“The money is great but the hours are hard, I sometimes have to do homework after work, so I am up till about four o’ clock in the morning.”
Scharf, originally from Solon, IA, has been familiar with the bar and restaurant scene when he started working at the young age of 14.
“I mainly have worked at restaurants, my last one was Carlos O’ Kelly’s,” said Scharf. “I have also worked at Formosa and the Country Café that is located back in my hometown.”
Scharf, who currently has a degree in Interdepartmental Studies, came back to Iowa to pursue another degree in Management Information Systems. He hopes to graduate in May and to find a job with his MIS major.
As he heads toward the future, working in the bar scene has given Scharf some valuable knowledge.
“I think the most rewarding experience for me working at TCB’s is the customer skills that I have acquired throughout the years,” said Scharf. “Knowing how to start a conversation and not making it awkward is a good life skill.”
As a group of regulars put their pool sticks away and say goodbye to Scharf, he wipes down the bar with ease and precision. One can tell that Scharf knows how to do his job well.
“I really do love where I work.”