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How to Choose the Essential Commercial Bar Equipment?
Are you looking for the right commercial bar equipment for your business? A new bar or a remodeled bar in front of a restaurant both sound like good options, and people will need a place to relax after work or to celebrate all kinds of holidays, events and anniversaries.
To actually start a bar, you need to consider more complex things. This guide will go over some of the basics about bars, including a list of bar equipment, so don’t miss it if you’re planning or updating your ideal bar.
1. What are the common types of bars?
Bars are licensed establishments that sell a variety of alcoholic beverages and snacks to customers. It may seem that all types of bars are similar in perception, but for bar operators, it is important that you define a clear concept for your establishment as the first step to start planning.
Classification according to the type of alcohol:
Most bars offer different types of drinks and their menu will include all types of wine, beer, juice or milk, but the audience of a specialized type of bar is very precise.
Depending on the type of alcohol, bars can be divided into beer bars, whiskey bars, vodka bars, tequila bars, gin bars, champagne bars, cocktail bars, etc. After you make it clear that you focus on only one type of liquor, customers who like this type of liquor will think that you can provide a more professional service than other stores that offer many types of liquor (the bar’s audience is more concerned with service and professionalism), so this type of specialized bar requires more experience, professionalism and taste, so make sure you are up to the task.
Classified according to the type of services offered:
Arcade bars, pool bars, lounge bars, dance bars, music bars, sports bars, pool bars …… have various classifications according to the characteristics of the services you offer.
As is the trend today, a bar is not just a place for drinking only, people want to have more fun and food in it. The more services you offer, the more you can get your business involved in people’s lives, and those who enjoy dancing and music, playing pool with friends and watching sporting events will be more likely to visit your bar.
Of course, the kind of service you offer depends on your interests, and there is plenty of room for innovation in this matter. A bar is a stylish place, and rest assured that it can definitely withstand all kinds of creativity.
2. How to determine the bar layout?
The bar layout is largely determined by your preferences, but it ultimately depends on the size of the restaurant and the plumbing setup. Here are two of the most classic bar layouts, read about their applicability.
A. Island Bar
Set the bar in the center of the restaurant (usually in an oval or circular design), surrounded by various types of tables. This layout provides excellent opportunities for communication among customers, who have an open view when they are seated in front of the bar.
The limitation of this layout is that it requires more bar area, preferably a large space that tends to be square, and an island bar in a long, narrow space does not work well. Also, in most cases you will need to change the location of the electrical circuits and plumbing to house commercial bar equipment, moving them to the center of the bar.
B. Linear Bar
As you can see, this type of bar is built against the wall, and a common and popular one is the “L” shaped bar. It is more suitable for bars with limited space, as the customer will face the wall when sitting at the bar. A liquor cabinet is usually set up on the wall facing the customer to display these shiny bottles with pride and, more importantly, with easy access for the bartender.
Be cautious if you are going to design the interior of the bar to be long and narrow, as this will impede the bartender’s movement and make them spend more time traveling to and from each end, reducing their productivity. Whatever the bar design, it should allow bartenders to get what they need quickly and in the shortest possible distance.
When deciding on a bar location, keep this in mind: go by the customer’s line of sight. Your bar should be the first thing they notice when they enter the bar. Make sure the customer has a complete view and is quickly drawn to the bar as they enter.
3. How to buy the necessary commercial bar equipment?
Bartending tanks, strainers, corkscrews, stirrers …… are more difficult to shop for than these small necessary items of machinery and equipment, as they are really related to the efficiency and quality of the whole service. Let’s start with the sequence of storage, preparation, production and cleaning to understand what kind of commercial bar equipment is really needed for a complete bar.
A. Storage
Commercial wine fridge
Wine fridges are designed to preserve your precious red and white wines. They allow for gentler cooling and storage than ordinary coolers, using glass doors and LED lighting to display these beautiful bottles. Both temperature and humidity can be precisely regulated to perfectly preserve the wine’s flavor.
Do I need an undercounter or freestanding unit?
Some wine fridges support built-in storage underneath the bar, they have a smaller capacity, at 5 levels or less, so if you don’t have a lot of wine, an undercounter style will fit the bill and save space on the bar. Freestanding wine fridges can reach 10-17 tiers and hold 100-300 bottles. They usually use wooden stands to add style.
Which is better, dual or single temperature?
Dual temperature wine fridges come with two compressors that provide different temperatures and humidity for both zones. The optimal storage temperature for wine is around 55°F (13°C) and the humidity is between 60-80%. If you have many different types of wines with demanding storage conditions, you can use the dual temperature wine fridge to store them in separate zones for optimal taste.
Vibrations.
Be sure to choose a wine fridge with a quiet compressor or shock absorption measures; too much vibration can damage the quality of the wine.
Back Bar Coolers
Chill all types of beer, juice and soda with professional back bar coolers that support the use of compact areas for cooling in a crowded bar. Of course, the biggest reason they were chosen was for ease of access for bartenders and improved efficiency in making drinks.
Solid or glass doors?
Glass doors provide excellent visibility, allowing a clear view of the location without opening, while solid doors offer better thermal protection, resulting in greater energy efficiency.
Sliding door or swing door?
Sliding doors require a larger opening space in front, which can block traffic during busy periods. The disadvantage is that it is less insulated than a swing door, consumes more energy to replenish the lost temperature, and cannot open both doors at the same time, which is not conducive to mass loading and unloading and picking.
Commercial refrigerator&freezer
Commercial bar equipment is essential for any type of bar, not only for wine, but also for ingredients that need to be stored at lower temperatures: cream, eggs, fruit, syrups, juices, etc., as well as ingredients for snacks such as fries and chicken nuggets, which provide important support for the bar’s extensive menu.
Do I need both a full-size reach-in refrigerator and an undercounter refrigerator?
To a large extent, yes. Depending on how much you want to store, having a small undercounter refrigerator at the bar for bartenders to access ingredients at any time can be very efficient, while a full-size refrigerator can be placed in the kitchen to extend the shelf life of your inventory.
B. Preparation
Blender/Juicer
Bring freshly squeezed juices and purees to your bar. They are indispensable ingredients for making mixed alcoholic and juice drinks, such as lemon juice, lime juice, pomegranate juice, as well as smoothies and milkshakes made with a blender. Customers will be happier with the latest fresh juices served to them in a juicer or blender rather than concentrated juices. And generally speaking, you only need a small countertop type to meet these needs.
What should I care about?
First and foremost is speed. Speed is critical to both bar efficiency and customer satisfaction. Centrifugal juicers are the fastest, but can be wasteful because they are too short to fully utilize the ingredients, and masticating juicers are good for slower processing of softer fruits, which are usually fully utilized.
Next is the noise. Generally these devices are not used on the bar, but reasonable control of kitchen noise is still an important topic. Centrifugal juicers have the fastest speed and bring the most noise, and the least noisy options are masticating and grating. For blenders, on the other hand, you will most likely need a soundproof cover to reduce the noise.
Ice machine
The perfect choice to keep drinks cool! Any place that serves beverages will need an ice machine. The quality of the ice affects the quality of the drinks, so choosing an ice machine is a matter of careful consideration.
What type of ice machine is right for me?
Ice machines are available in both air-cooled and water-cooled refrigeration options. Air cooling relies on air temperature and is less effective in hot temperatures. Water cooling consumes a lot of water, with a medium-sized water-cooled ice machine consuming 5-8 tons of water per day. If you have a well-ventilated environment or cooler temperatures, the air-cooled type is the most suitable choice.
How do I consider size?
The most important thing is not the amount of ice demanded throughout the day, but the amount of ice demanded during peak traffic periods. The amount of ice your ice machine is required to make must be sufficient to handle this value. An all-in-one ice maker can handle 40-120kg per day. If more ice is needed, you can choose a split ice maker with a larger capacity, or an ice storage bin to make and store large quantities of ice in advance.
C. Making
Coffee Machine
For bars, both coffee drinks and their use as bartending ingredients are relatively low, and the need for a coffee machine depends largely on whether you value adding coffee as a business to your bar.
Should I choose a fully automatic coffee machine?
Of the three types of coffee machines, manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic, bars generally do not choose the manual type, even though they may make better coffee, but these machines are very demanding and you must have an experienced and dedicated barista.
The semi-automatic type also requires a certain operator, such as the ability to manually pull out the milk foam, so if you don’t require much in terms of coffee quality and type, a fully automatic coffee machine can easily and effortlessly make a consistent product.
Countertop Cooking Equipment
Smaller countertop cooking equipment, such as ovens, fryers and grills, serve to cook the snacks on the menu, and since they only serve a secondary purpose, you can completely eliminate the least-used one from your purchase list.
Fryer: The most used bar snack equipment, quickly serving many types of fried foods: fish and chips, nachos, onion rings and chicken wings, usually a tabletop fryer is all you need for snacking.
Ovens: make or heat foods such as bread, sandwiches, tarts, and roasted peanuts.
Grill: Grill chicken, fish, sausage and vegetable platters.
You don’t need to buy too much cooking equipment just for snacks, unless the plan is to gradually shift the focus of your business toward serving food. One more tip: Have some snack and drink combinations on the menu, such as pairing savory fried snacks with refreshing drinks, not only to increase sales, but also to enhance the customer’s dining experience.
D. Cleaning
Undercounter Glass Washers
Commercial bar equipment designed to clean glasses and serve them smoothly at busy times, they effectively reduce the probability of glass breakage and reduce water stains on them, maintaining perfect clarity.
How to choose the right size?
Undercounter washers usually hold only one standard size rack, ranging from 20-40 depending on the type of glass. The good news is that they are all fast, taking only a few minutes per cleaning cycle and cleaning 20-35 racks per hour. Please size according to the number of cups that need to be served during the peak 2-3 hour period.
Can I choose a low temperature washer?
We prefer to choose the high temperature type over 180℉. Although the low temperature type saves energy, water stains on the glass need to be wiped or left for a long time to dry, the high temperature cleaner is more conducive to drying water stains.
Commercial beverage tables
Bartenders need to catch water at the bar to clean and wash their hands at all times. When choosing a beverage tables, please pay attention to keeping the height of the sink worktop level with your countertop. Most worktops come with the option to adjust the height of the support legs, so you can adjust it yourself according to the height of the countertop. Next, pay attention to the height of the faucet. A faucet that is too low will cause collisions when using water, while a faucet that is higher than 30cm will cause splashes when in use.
4. Summary
After reading this article, are you ready to choose a one-stop bar equipment for your bar? It’s not an easy task, but the right choice will help your business tremendously. If you need to get more information and free help on commercial bar equipment, please contact us now and Chefmax will give you a professional answer at the first time.
