The Watershed strives to be actively anti-racist as a social establishment. The staff undergo regular equity trainings as well as being committed to representation behind the bar. We strive to make The Watershed a refuge of care and hospitality for folks that may not feel welcome at other places. We invite patrons to give us feedback on their experiences.  Contact us!

The Watershed strives to be inclusive and positive toward all gender identities and sexual orientations. The staff undergo regular equity trainings and we strive to foster an atmosphere of openness and invite folks to share their pronouns and names with the staff if their IDs and credit cards do not reflect them. Our restrooms are all gender, single stall, and provide free menstrual products and contraceptives. Patrons are invited to give us feedback on their experiences.   Contact us!

Conversational atmosphere means that every person in the Watershed can have a conversation with another patron or the staff without shouting or straining to hear. While folks enjoying themselves is music to our ears, there are no performances of any kind at the Watershed and folks attempting to command the attention of folks not in their party will be asked to leave.

The largest party the Watershed can host is 6 people, due to our limited space, conversational atmosphere, and now the safety concerns of the COVID pandemic. Folks are encouraged to call ahead and see if the community table is available.

The Watershed is a zero waste bar. We do not use citrus fruit in our bar program because citrus fruit does not grow in Upstate New York (yet) and processing juice and garnishes generates waste. We use pure citrus oils and extracts to add the aroma of citrus in certain cocktails.

The Watershed has a free library! You can take books or bring books as you are willing and able, we don’t need them back! 

The Watershed has a fire code capacity of 49 people, so including two bartenders that’s 47 guests we can host at any given time. When we are full (for at least a couple hours Fridays and Saturdays) we ask folks to wait and give them a “capacity coupon” for 10% off their entire tab. Folks can wait for as long as they have patience for or come in some other time to use their coupon, which never expires.

The “capacity coupon” is meant as a consolation prize for folks that either can’t get into the Watershed on busy nights or who have had to wait to get in. It entitles the bearer to 10% off their entire tab, the coupon never expires, and the bar number is on the card in case folks want to call (or text!) ahead to see if there’s room. 

The Watershed does not serve intoxicated people and does not condone drinking games or over-serving. We will pour you a neat portion of liquor that you can drink quickly, but we may not serve you anything further if we judge that you have had enough alcohol for the evening. 

YES! We love promoting our many wonderful neighboring restaurants. Because we are a zero waste bar, we ask that everyone carry out any and all garbage, recycling, and compost that might be generated by take out service, just like the state parks. 

The Watershed staff have all undergone the Barstander training from the Advocacy Center, which empowers us to identify, intervene, and de-escalate potentially dangerous situations. Especially if you are meeting someone for the first time, give our bartenders a heads up that you are on a date and we will keep an eye out for red flags and get you out of any situation that makes you uncomfortable. 

A 20% Bartender Commission is charged on every bill at the Watershed and goes directly into the bartender’s paycheck. Folks familiar with an “auto-grat” for large parties in many restaurants will recognize this charge on their bills, and the only thing different about the Bartender Commission is that it is not a gratuity, and every customer will pay this charge for the service they receive. As a Certified Living Wage employer paying a tipped wage, we have always guaranteed that our employees are paid a minimum of $16 an hour including tips, and we believe that 20% is a fair commission on sales, particularly on very busy nights.