Restaurant Bar Equipment - Running a Successful Bar
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John Park
Chef John Park has been a chef for over 20 years and serial entrepreneur. Having opened more than handful of restaurants, Chef John also spends his time consulting for various food service restaurant equipment stores By John Park
Published on 01/10/2012
Opening and managing a bar is a daunting task. The type of equipment you buy and the arrangement is extremely important. An efficient bar is a profitable bar. Lets look at some of the options you have to make your bar the best it can be.
Opening and managing a bar is a daunting task. The type of equipment you buy and the arrangement is extremely important. An efficient bar is a profitable bar. Lets look at some of the options you have to make your bar the best it can be.
Backbar Refrigerators
You need to keep your drinks cold and have them ready to serve quickly. Ample storage space is important so you have the drinks that are ordered. These allow you to store both can and bottled beer. Some bartenders use this equipment to chill certain liquors as well. Backbar coolers come in solid and glass door models. Most restaurants and bars choose glass doors to display beer selections and solid doors for storage of mixers. Solid door models are hidden in a darkened bar and hide dings well.
Bottle Coolers
These horizontal bottle coolers are designed with enduring quality and value. These units are a necessity for high volume as they provide easy access for the buy bartender or bar back. Bottle Coolers chill from the top down so newly added bottles or cans get chilled first, and your customers will always get a nice cold beer.
Draft Beer
Trues oversized and balanced refrigeration system with extra large evaporator performs in the hottest, most humid climates - excellent for all tropical beach bars. Draft beer units come in a variety of sizes, from 1 to 4 kegs. Bars with more than 4 draft beer choices can store the more kegs in a walkin cooler, then run lines to the draft unit.
Bar Sinks
You need to have a bar sink to wash glasses and dispose of excess liquids.
Bar sinks are smaller than regular sinks to fit neatly under you bar.
They come with 1 to 4 bowls. Drainboards are optional and can serve as drying racks for you glasses.
Cocktail Units
Cocktail units provide you with a space to hold your mixes and ice.
You can also put speed rails on the front to hold you most common liquor. Cold plate units are used to keep ice cold and run fountain drinks through to keep beverages cold when dispensing, eliminating foam from the soda gun. Standard units use insulation to keep ice cold but don not provide the chill needed for soft drinks.
Glass Washers
A typical bar uses many, many types of glasses per hour. In order to keep them clean and in use, you need to use a glass washer in combination with a bar sink.
Blenders
Bar blenders are used to produce drinks, from daiquiris and margaritas, to smoothies and shakes. They are used to crush the ice and to mix the fruit.
You will need several and horsepower is an important consideration if making ice heavy drinks.
Ice Caddy
Indoors or outdoors, in heat or humidity, these sleek models keep their cool and can hold ice cold for days.
They provide reliability, value and safer holding for up to 175 lbs. of ice.
How much ice do I need?
There are two considerations 1) production and 2) storage. At minimum, your ice machine should produce 20% more than your estimated daily usage, and your bin should store enough ice to support the greatest rush period plus 20% margin of error, or two of three meals, whichever is greater.
Example: a diner may serve 150 breakfast, 200 lunch, and 100 dinner meals daily. As the diner serves 450 customers a day, production should be 450 customers at 1.5 lbs of ice each, plus 20%, or 810 lbs of production. Breakfast and lunch are peak periods, and there are 350 meals served in this narrow window. There should be enough ice stored in the bin from the previous evening to support both meals. 350 customers at 1.5 lbs. of ice each, plus 20% suggests a bin that stores at least 630 lbs. of ice.
Backbar Refrigerators
You need to keep your drinks cold and have them ready to serve quickly. Ample storage space is important so you have the drinks that are ordered. These allow you to store both can and bottled beer. Some bartenders use this equipment to chill certain liquors as well. Backbar coolers come in solid and glass door models. Most restaurants and bars choose glass doors to display beer selections and solid doors for storage of mixers. Solid door models are hidden in a darkened bar and hide dings well.
Bottle Coolers
These horizontal bottle coolers are designed with enduring quality and value. These units are a necessity for high volume as they provide easy access for the buy bartender or bar back. Bottle Coolers chill from the top down so newly added bottles or cans get chilled first, and your customers will always get a nice cold beer.
Draft Beer
Trues oversized and balanced refrigeration system with extra large evaporator performs in the hottest, most humid climates - excellent for all tropical beach bars. Draft beer units come in a variety of sizes, from 1 to 4 kegs. Bars with more than 4 draft beer choices can store the more kegs in a walkin cooler, then run lines to the draft unit.
Bar Sinks
You need to have a bar sink to wash glasses and dispose of excess liquids.
Bar sinks are smaller than regular sinks to fit neatly under you bar.
They come with 1 to 4 bowls. Drainboards are optional and can serve as drying racks for you glasses.
Cocktail Units
Cocktail units provide you with a space to hold your mixes and ice.
You can also put speed rails on the front to hold you most common liquor. Cold plate units are used to keep ice cold and run fountain drinks through to keep beverages cold when dispensing, eliminating foam from the soda gun. Standard units use insulation to keep ice cold but don not provide the chill needed for soft drinks.
Glass Washers
A typical bar uses many, many types of glasses per hour. In order to keep them clean and in use, you need to use a glass washer in combination with a bar sink.
Blenders
Bar blenders are used to produce drinks, from daiquiris and margaritas, to smoothies and shakes. They are used to crush the ice and to mix the fruit.
You will need several and horsepower is an important consideration if making ice heavy drinks.
Ice Caddy
Indoors or outdoors, in heat or humidity, these sleek models keep their cool and can hold ice cold for days.
They provide reliability, value and safer holding for up to 175 lbs. of ice.
How much ice do I need?
There are two considerations 1) production and 2) storage. At minimum, your ice machine should produce 20% more than your estimated daily usage, and your bin should store enough ice to support the greatest rush period plus 20% margin of error, or two of three meals, whichever is greater.
Example: a diner may serve 150 breakfast, 200 lunch, and 100 dinner meals daily. As the diner serves 450 customers a day, production should be 450 customers at 1.5 lbs of ice each, plus 20%, or 810 lbs of production. Breakfast and lunch are peak periods, and there are 350 meals served in this narrow window. There should be enough ice stored in the bin from the previous evening to support both meals. 350 customers at 1.5 lbs. of ice each, plus 20% suggests a bin that stores at least 630 lbs. of ice.