Bar Design Determining the size shape and placement

Bar Design

Determining the size, shape, and placement of the bar itself is a design problem with two facets: 1. The element of décor, and; 2. The element of function

The size and shape of the bar, its appearance, and its position in the room are typically planned by the, owner, architect, or interior designer whose primary concerns are layout and décor. The working areas, where the drinks are poured are planned by facilities design consultant or by an equipment dealer

Factors that affect the space in assigning the bar location: 1. Drinks to be served; 2. Projected volume of business, and; 3. Space and equipment needed to serve the drinks

Parts of the Bar

A bar is made up of three parts: 1. Front Bar 2. Backbar 3. Underbar

Front Bar

The front bar is a customers’ area, where they order their drinks and where the drinks are served.

The bar is typically 16 to 18 inches wide, with a surface that is alcohol -proof and waterproof, usually of laminated plastic. An armrest along the front edge, often padded, adds another 8 inches to its width.

The last few inches of the back edge are usually recessed, and it is here that the bartender pours the drinks, to demonstrate liquor brand pouring skill. It is known vigorously as the rail, glass rail, drip rail, spill through.

The vertical structure supporting the front bar, known as the bar die, is like a wall separating the customer from the working area. It forms a “T” with the bar, making a kind of table on the customer side, with the other side shielding the underbar from public view. There is usually a footrest running the length of the die on the customer side about a foot off the ground.

The height of the front bar, 42 to 48 inches, is a good working height for the bartender. It also makes the front bar just right for leaning against with one foot on the footrest

If it is a sit-down bar, it will have stools tall enough to turn the bar into a table. Each stool is allotted a 2 -foot length of bar. The stools should look and feel comfortable, often they have upholstered backs and seats. Since the seats are high off the ground, the stools typically have rungs for footrest, or else the footrest of the bar is within reach of the feet. Even numbers of stools make it convenient for couples.

Backbar

The Backbar has a double function: 1. the decorative function of display and; 2. the work function of storage.

Traditionally it is the area where bottles of liquor and rows of sparkling glasswares are displayed, their splendor doubled by a mirror behind them. In the Old West – or at least in Old West movies – the mirror had another function: it showed the man at the bar whether anyone was coming up behind him, gun in hand.

The typical modern bar still follows the same tradition of bottles, glassware, and mirror. Some people feel it is just not a bar without them. There are functional reasons too: the liquor and glasswares are part of the bartender’s working supplies, and the barback is a good place to display call brands as a subtle form of merchandising.

The mirror adds depth to the room; it also gives customers a view of others at the bar and the action going on behind them. Bartenders sometimes use it too; to observe customers without being noticed.

New fashions in Backbar décor are branching out to include stained glass, paneled or textured walls, murals, posters, wine racks, mood pieces, and conversation starters. Stemware hanging from slotted racks overhead is popular as a design element as well as for functional glass storage.

The base of the Backbar is likely to be storage space, refrigerated or otherwise. Or it may house special equipment such as glass froster, an ice machine, or a mechanical dishwasher.

If specially drinks are featured, the frozen-drink or espresso machine will probably be on top of the Backbar. The cash register is usually on the Backbar too, in a recessed space.

Whatever its uses, the Backbar must be visually pleasing from top to bottom, since customers look at it, and it must coordinate visually with the décor of the room as a whole.

Underbar

The underbar is the heart of the entire beverage operation and deserves the most careful attention to its design. In its space the equipment and supplies for the products you are selling must be arranged compactly and efficiently with speed the overriding concern.

Each bartender must have an individual supply of pouring liquor, ice, mixes, glasses, blender, and garnishes, all within arm’s reach in the pouring station. Each pouring station has an ice bin and one or more bottle racks for the most-used liquors and mixes.

The supply of glasses may be upside down on the glass rail or on drain boards near the ice bin or on special glass shelves, or in glass racks stacked beside the station, or on the Backbar, or in overhead racks, or in all these places, grouped according to type and size.

The blender, and probably a mixer, may be on a recessed shelf beside the ice bin, while the garnishes are typically or in the bar top in a special condiment tray.

Where drinks are served from the main bar for table service, the bar must always have a pickup station – that is, a section of the front bar by the pouring station set off from the customers’ bar area, where serving and personnel turn in and receive orders and return empty glasses. Otherwise they must elbow their way through the customers; confusion reigns and spills occur. The pickup station should be near pouring station and the cash register.

Another area of the underbar contains equipment for washing glasses – a three-compartment or four-compartment sink with drain boards on both sides, or in some cases a mechanical dishwasher. The underbar must also have provision for waste disposal and a hand sink. These are typical health department requirements.

Underbar and Backbar together must provide enough storage for the day’s reserve supplies of liquor, mixes, wines, beers, ice, garnishes, and such non-beverage supplies as bar towels, cocktail napkins, picks, and stir sticks. All these must be arranged so that they require a minimum of movement: movement is time and time can be money.

Three feet is the customary distance between the Backbar and the underbar, to accommodate the bartenders’ movements and the opening of doors to storage cabinets.

The doors must not be so wide that they block passage when open. Storage areas must be available to each bartender without interfering with another’s movements.

Special drinks require special planning for the equipment they need, if you plan to have beer on tap, you must place the standards (faucets) so that they are easily accessible to the bartender (but not to the customer), and there must be refrigerated storage space for each keg either at the bar or in a nearby storage area with lines bringing the beer to the bar.

Frozen-drink dispensers, ice cream equipment, and glass frosters have special space requirements that must be designed into the overall scheme.

Hidden but essential factors in underbar and Backbar design are the plumbing and electrical needs of the equipment. Faucets, icemakers, soda guns, and dishwashers need a water supply. Sinks, refrigerators, glass frosters, ice bins, icemakers, dishwashers, and waste disposal need proper drainage. Some equipment may need special electrical wiring. All this must have ready access for repairs.

The entrance to the bar is sometimes made large enough to accommodate the largest piece of movable equipment, in case it has to be replaced or repaired. The smaller the access, the more space is available for equipment, so most often the entrance is a hinged section of the bar top that lift up.

Repairs are made in place, or replacement equipment is lifted over the bar when necessary. Sometimes one end of the bar is open, though this makes the liquor supply more vulnerable to tampering and makes control more difficult. Sometimes there is a doorway in the backbar.

Bar Floor

Think about the bartenders’ comfort and safety in planning the bar floor. They are on their feet for hours and you want them to look fresh and smiling. The floor under their feet must have a nonporous surface, such as tile or sealed concrete, to meet sanitary code requirements.

Wood and carpeting are not acceptable. A tile or concrete surface is cold, hard and slippery when wet. As the evening wears on, ice cubes, beer foam, soapy water, debris from empty glasses, and broken glass may accumulate.

Slotted plastic panels allow spills to go down between the slats, to minimize hazards of slipping. They must be taken up for cleaning, however, which is a nuisance and if it isn’t done often they become stale and unsanitary. They are also hard on the feet. Rubber or plastic mats minimize slippage and are easy on the feet, but they must also be cleaned frequently.

Size, Shape, and Position in the Room

From the front of the front bar to the back of the backbar, the overall depth should usually be about 8 feet. The minimum length of the bar should be determined from the inside, according to equipment needs.

Additional length and shape will be determined from the outside, according to the number of seats (if there are seats) the size of the room, and the overall design requirements.

The inside factors are determined mainly by the kinds of drinks served and the number of stations needed to meet peak volume. The outside factors have to do with your total concept, your clientele, your décor, and the available space.

Unfortunately, the last consideration – the space available – is usually the tail that wags the dog. Often the space available is what is left over after everything else has been planned. Many times an inadequate bar space will limit what you can serve and how much, thereby decreasing your drawing cards and your profits. Or it may require expensive and complicated equipment solutions to problems that would be simple to solve in a larger space.

In sum, the best way to proceed is to plan your drink menu first with your clientele in mind. Figure carefully the volume you can expect at peak periods. Size your bar to accommodate space and equipment needs for these drinks in that volume, or have a specialist to do it.

If your facility is already built and space is predetermined, it becomes even more critical to think through your bar design and equipment to make the most profitable use of the space you have. Again, your clientele and your drink menu are your starting points.

Bars can be many different shapes – straight, curved, angled, horseshoe, round, square, or freeform shape, too, is a decision involving many factors – room size and shape, mood, décor, function.

Again, the functioning area of the bar is often the stepchild of the design. Unusual shapes are tricky. Most underbar equipment is factory-made in standard sizes that may not work as well in action. It can also cause problems of maintenance and repair.

Usually a bar has its back to the wall, but in a large room it may be the centerpiece or focal point, a freestanding square, round, oval, or Irregular Island, with stations facing in several directions and a backbar in the middle. Obviously, an island bar will have special design and the underbar will be visible to the patrons. There may be special plumbing and electrical problems.

Whatever its shape, the bar’s position in the room deserves as much consideration as its shape and size – and may affect both. Consider the customers’ reactions as they enter the room.

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