In our last post, we spoke about the 6 essentials for opening your own bar. These were just the bare basics. In this article, we’re going to talk about the equipment your bar’s going to need to function properly.
1: Ice Machine
Nobody likes warm drinks, unless it’s coffee. Ice machines aren’t massive behemoths that take up an entire wall. There’s modular, self-contained machines capable of fitting under the bar bench. There’s no one type of ice that fits all needs, especially when it comes to food and beverage. Cubed ice is the most popular and it’s appropriate for drinks. Flaked ice is better suited for food presentation, like prawn cocktails and seafood on display in glass cabinets. Ice machines can generate a few hundred kilos of ice per day so you won’t have to worry about running short.
2: Post-mix System
Restaurants and hospitality establishments are capable of serving hundreds of litres of soft drink per day thanks to a dedicated post-mix system (or two). Concentrate soft-drink syrup and carbonated water are mixed together in the system when the button is pushed, resulting in a chilled glass of lemonade (or whatever else is on offer).
Ice & Beverage Solution’s post-mix system has a chilling unit already integrated. This way your staff can serve cold drinks straight from the system.
3: Beer System
When someone hears ‘bar’, they automatically think ‘beer’. When you’re shopping around during the initial planning phase, you’ll find there’s lock-in contracts associated with some vendors. They might even make it a condition that you serve a particular brew because of their ‘partnership’ with a particular brand.
This doesn’t suit everyone. You just want to pay for the system, not the included swill that nobody really likes. You might run the risk of losing profit. Ice & Beverage has a no contract policy. This equals you having the freedom to choose the beers you know customers want, whether independent and local or classic favourites.
4: Storage
You need to put those kegs, post-mix boxes and extra stock somewhere. But it’s not just back-door storage you need to think about. Bar design must include shelving for liquor, bottles and space for refrigeration at front-of-house.
5: Furniture
Set the theme, get the furniture to match. Ideally, you’ll allocate money in the budget for:
- Couches
- Bar stools
- Tables
- Decorations (murals, paintings etc)
- TV and audio systems
6: Efficient POS
You can’t put through any transactions without them. When you purchase your point of sale system, ask for the restaurant layout (table map and numbers etc) to be installed. When customers order from the menu, staff can simply tap and add items from the menu to the table. This is then calculated on the final bill.
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