The errors to avoid in setting up the bar counter are many and in different areas: from the materials to the refrigeration, from the aesthetic aspect to the internal arrangement.

In the context of the furnishing of a public place, the counter certainly has the role of main protagonist, indicating, with its shapes, its colors and its materials, the soul of the room itself; around the counter, in fact, all the appearance is defined, combining floors, furnishings and finishes.

Being creative in setting up the bar counter can allow you to give a unique character to your room, but be careful not to make mistakes that hinder the daily activities of the staff.

In this phase, an entrepreneur can ask for help from an architect and an interior decorator, who take care of the technical design so that the counter also performs its functions. What are they? Let’s see.

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BANCO BAR

The preparation of the bar counter must essentially answer four functions:

  • Protect, maintain and “promote” products and services – The counter must be organized in such a way as to preserve and promote products displayed to the public;
  • Seduce the customer – The desk must attract customers’ attention and increase the sales of the premises. It does not only represent a support plan to request consummation, it must perfectly reflect the identity of the whole place;
  • Fostering operators in their functions – The operator has a vital role in the economy of the public sector, so he must be put in a position to work in an optimal state. The counter must be set up in such a way as to maximize the efficiency of the personnel and optimize the resources available.
  • Establishing interactions with customers – In addition to being functional to operators, the counter must be nice and convenient because it is the point in which the relationship with the customer is developed. How does this translate into operational terms? Positioning the coffee machine sideways, for example, allows the operator to never give his back while maintaining eye contact with the customer.

 

BANK: TO HIS EACH

Every detail of the counter must be studied and designed according to logical criteria of operation. Normally the most used tools by the operator are located on the bar counter: equipment and products must be arranged in an ergonomic and efficient manner, in order to minimize personnel movements. Always depending on the type of room and the services offered, the counter will have particular characteristics: a well-known interior designer, Afa, has illustrated for example how an evening venue will need to enhance liqueurs and cocktails and clearly be equipped to the best with workstations for preparation, ice tubs and so on.

 

A day room that serves its customers with breakfasts and quick meals will instead need to enhance their products and maximize exposure with well-designed spaces; hence the use of neutral and refrigerated Drop-in, protected by glass cases, but also to reserve non-visible areas, where temporarily store use tools to be washed and product inventories

THE NEWS IN THE BANQUET OF THE BAR

Over the years the characteristics of those who frequent bars (and those who work there) have changed. The new customer preferences, together with increasingly advanced technologies, impose a change also in the way of designing and conceiving the bar counters and the spaces available within the premises.

The most avant-garde exercises have started a new way of preparing and serving dishes: these rooms have been structured with bar counters that allow for preparation on sight and consumption directly at the counter, sitting on comfortable armchairs, at the correct height and in front of inviting gastronomic preparations, clearly protected by glass cases.

In Italy the delicacies do not stop to eat: our wines certainly do not need any introduction and, as we said here, craft beers are very popular, so much so that environments dedicated to them are created, with refrigerated cells able to exhibit not only the colorful bottles, but also the stems themselves, from which the blondes, reds, whites are tapped …

Another novelty that is spreading on the premises is the elimination of the platform behind the counter. Created to facilitate the passage of wires and pipes, it proved to be inconvenient for cleaning the spaces and for the operator’s movements. Here are solutions without a platform, undoubtedly more hygienic and practical. Not only that, a lower counter favors the use of glass cabinets as the customer enjoys a broader overview of the products on display. A demonstration that a change to the ergonomics of the desk can also be a powerful marketing tool for the local.

It is absolutely wrong to design and make the furniture (and specifically the “bar area”) without taking into account the need for aesthetic functionality of the room, even a good management of the room will be able to correct such a big mistake. Even the materials used deserve attention: there is no “perfect material” with which to build the counter, because the trends are constantly evolving and the tastes are always very subjective. We can recommend the use of lending materials such as steel, glass, Corian, but also natural stones and wood, capable of supporting intense use without losing beauty.

In conclusion, there are 3 fixed points to keep in mind in a forward-looking and efficient design of the bar counter: aesthetics, functionality and durability. Do not make the mistake of underestimating one of these aspects, because as you will have understood they are all primary factors in setting up the bar counter.