Strategies for a successful bar layout and tips on how to avoid an inefficient design

Nation's Restaurant News, May 25, 1998

In most operations, the bar is the largest single profit center and the one with the greatest percentage of return,

Yet the facilities provided to serve the beverages often receive less attention than other areas and functions. Decor and ambience bring the customer through the door. A successful bar design is the result of providing appropriate equipment and layout based on a specific space and operating style. Good bar design is measured by function and ergonomic efficiency, not size or quantity of equipment. Following are some common errors in bar design and tips on how to avoid them:

The first error in bar design and layout is often a failure to prioritize real equipment needs. Often a bar contains so much mixing and refrigeration equipment that there is no place for adequate liquor or glass storage. Establish and rank the equipment so that you can allocate space for items you really need.

Too many bar layouts are based on form and symmetry, not function. A successful bar should be planned to maximize the bartender's productivity and minimize the movement necessary to perform common tasks. Equipment layouts should be the most ergonomically available for bartenders and servers, even if it creates an asymmetrical plan. The configuration of each work station should be consistent - the flow, the relationship of the glass to the ice chest, the beer tower and soda gun - all should be in the same location.

POS/register stations are often located far away from the mix and pickup areas, Every drink poured or mixed requires entering into a transaction. Each mix station should have direct access to a point-of-sale system. If the server is ringing up the sale, then the POS system should also be part of the server's assigned pickup area.

Another problem is designing a bar using a generic layout from a catalog or another facility that doesn't reflect each operation's special circumstances. Each bar needs to be designed to fit its own function. A bar layout for a stadium should be different than one designed for a lobby bar in a hotel even if they are the same size.

In a high-volume or service bar, frequently poured liquor should be located in front of the bartender. Designs should avoid having the bartender turn away from the customer or server. In hotel or restaurant bars, liquor may become a display element and the mixing of drinks is part of the show so back-bar liquor displays are more acceptable.

Providing too much of the wrong equipment is another mistake. A concession or sports bar doesn't need a glass froster, ice-cream chest or wine-bottle cooler. A hotel or restaurant bar needs more clean-and-soiled-glass storage than work boards or sinks. Glass storage is particularly critical since many areas no longer permit overhead glass racks.

Often an aisle is too wide between the front and back bar. A number of restaurant-chain operators and consultants believe that the optimum dimension from the front of the speed rail to the back bar is 30 inches. This provides just enough room to open 23-inch-wide doors on the back-bar cooler, but reduces one step each time the bartender accesses the rear counter. On a busy night, the bartender saves more than a mile of wasted travel and can pour five-tQ-1O more drinks per hour.

In the area of maintenance, sometimes construction details make the bar difficult to clean. Many bar operators don't put the emphasis on sanitation as they do in kitchens. When a bar closes at 2 a.m., it's hard to act staff motivated to clean and sanitize a bar. Design the bar with continuous modular or fabricated counters without cracks or gaps. Provide hard, clean, able finishes behind the work stations. Conceal under-the-bar plumbing, cord sets, and soda/beer lines so they don't accumulate soil and add to the cleaning burden.

Glass washers need regular maintenance, but often they don't receive the same attention that a regular dishwasher receives. If you have a small bar with low volume, or aren't going to maintain the glass washer, use a three-compartment sink, power brush, and a chemical sanitizer. You will save a lot of money and accomplish the same objective.

Providing duplicate or unnecessary sinks is another mistake. Many municipalities don't require hand sinks in bars, particularly if no food is prepared. Even when a hand sink is required, some areas allow a utility sink behind a blender station to be used as a hand sink if soap and paper towels are provided. In many areas of the country you can eliminate a three-compartment sink if you have a National Sanitation Foundation-approved glass washer, particularly if there is access to a pot sink or dishwasher in a nearby kitchen for backup. Always check with the local health department before you eliminate either a hand-or three-compartment utility sink.

Bars without the adequate storage areas are problematic. Few designers create the needed space at the pick-up station for storing napkins, stirrers, or POS equipment. Often, space for these items is added after a facility is opened, using draped tables or hastily thrown together millwork. Counter and storage space for these functions should be planned as an integral part of the bar's design.