California’s food and beverage industry has seen significant growth and innovation in recent years as businesses and legislators look to improve the safety and satisfaction of customers and patrons. The implementation of the RBS certification mandate in California is the most recent addition to the industry’s efforts and will ensure that all alcohol purveying establishments are adequately certified to serve. 

Responsible Beverage Service certification will become mandatory for all businesses and their staff serving alcohol in their establishment as of July 1st, 2022.

So, what exactly is an RBS certification and what significance does it provide to food and beverage businesses in California? In this article, we’ll explore this new mandate and what it means for the industry.

What is RBS?

RBS stands for Responsible Beverage Service and comes with a new mandatory regulation that will come into effect in California on the first of July 2022. This mandate requires establishments and their servers serving alcohol to complete RBS certifications to confirm they are eligible to safely serve alcohol to their patrons.

RBS Certification & Training

To help servers and their managers prepare for these changes, approved RBS training programs are becoming more readily available. Think of an RBS training program like preparing for the SATs. These programs are designed to provide a foundation and additional educational resources to help industry professionals before they take the official RBS certification test.

Completing a California responsible beverage service training program will be essential for businesses in California for those who serve alcohol to customers, including those taking beverage orders, pouring beverages for customers, delivering alcoholic beverages, and managers that are responsible for training, hiring, or overseeing alcohol servers.

Engaging with government-approved training programs is a significant step forward in elevating the customer experience and ensuring local communities are prioritized and protected. With these additional insights, managers can feel confident knowing their staff can detect the signs of intoxication, direct their customers to the safest alternative to get home, and how to correctly identify minors to ensure they are never served an alcoholic beverage.

The importance of these programs lies in the preparedness — the ability to absorb more information and resources before taking the official certification test. With these new mandates in place, Californians can feel comfortable knowing their servers are taking every step to ensure their safety to continue to enjoy visiting their favorite local bars and restaurants.

Why is RBS Education Important?

Across the food and beverage industry, there is an emphasis on customer safety, primarily when alcohol is served in a bar or restaurant. Businesses must be able to provide alcoholic beverages to their customers responsibly with a dedication to their safety and best interest.

RBS certifications are implemented to create a culture across the industry where servers are encouraged to provide alcoholic beverages to their customers with the utmost responsibility and caution in mind. These certifications provide the necessary tools and resources to educate them on the importance of safe alcohol consumption and avoiding over-serving or serving minors.