Whether you’re redesigning your current bar set-up or building a completely new one, there are several items that need to be considered when laying out your bar equipment and bar supplies to improve the efficiency of your bartenders.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that the object of a bar design is not just to serve as a centerpiece for the bar but to allow the bartender quick and efficient access to the bar equipment and bar supplies that they will need to serve the customer in a timely fashion. A bar with poorly laid out bar equipment and bar supplies can have a huge negative impact on customer service which can ultimately lead to the failure of the business.

The first step is to determine what pieces of bar equipment and bar supplies need grouped together. Generally if the bartender has to take three or four steps to get anything he needs for one drink then there may be design issues negatively effecting the bar design. Common items that bartenders need access to on a regular basis can include; glassware, ice well, back bar cooler, beer taps, soft-drink gun, cocktail equipment, and the speed rail would be included in this list.

Once you have determined which pieces of bar equipment and bar supplies need grouped together it becomes an exercise in laying out the bar equipment and bar supplies in a manner that best utilizes the space behind the bar and doesn’t clutter up the bar counter. The back bar, that area located outside of customer view, should hold commonly restocked items such as bottled beer, liquors and spirits as well as those liquors and spirits that a bartender rarely uses so that they don’t take up his premium space. An exception to this rule would be top shelf premium liquors and spirits that rarely get used but give the bar area that conversation piece and image of class.

Serv-u offers a design-a-bar service that stands ready to help you design your bar area. Simply call Serv-U and a member of our qualified sales staff will be happy to assist you in determining what underbar bar equipment will help you achieve an efficient work area for your bartenders in the space you have available. Once our sales staff has determined what underbar bar equipment you need, Serv-U will then provide you with a full AutoCAD layout of the specified bar equipment and quotation at no charge.