* The following Art of Bar Design Q&A article with Greg Rodd, Sales Engineer Manager with Perlick, first appeared in the February edition of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine.
What makes for good bar design?
The bar is a profit center. A well designed, efficient bar has the right equipment arranged to minimize bartender movement, which equals more drinks per hour and translates to higher profits.
What challenges can you run into when designing a bar?
Space constraints that prevent an efficient, functional equipment plan. Too often the space allocated and the shape of the bar is driven by aesthetics and the equipment is selected to the allocated space, which is backwards. The equipment should be selected and arranged for efficiency, and the bar should be designed to the equipment.
What are the first steps in bar design?
Learn about the operation.
Determine the seating capacity at the bar and in the restaurant. Knowing the seating capacity, you can calculate approximately how many drinks can be served per hour during peak service.
Review the drink menu and determine the percentage of sales for each type of drink.
Ice capacity, glass storage, and liquor storage are all driven by seating capacity and menu mix. Knowing the menu mix and seating capacity ensures the correct equipment of proper size is selected for a functional, efficient bar.
Tell us about Perlick’s approach to bar design.
Perlick works with end users, architects, and foodservice consultants to help design efficiency and functionality into their projects. After receiving plans for a bar, we can provide assistance with equipment selection and placement to ensure the best possible bar design.
Perlick has a factory training center where we currently offer courses on draft beer systems. In 2016, we will be adding classes in bar design for foodservice consultants. Both will have continuing education credits for foodservice consultants.
We’re partners with our customers. We want our customers to be successful in their business. Our goal is to make them as efficient and profitable as possible.
Find out which bar and beverage solutions will make your bar profitable.
