Designing a bar is like mixing the perfect drink. You consider what your guests expect upon entering. Bars are the perfect place where people come when they’re feeling happy or blue. They are up for chill drinks or jive to the music like there’s no tomorrow. This is the place where people are in need of a drop of alcohol in their blood. What better way of killing time than chilling inside a bar, right?
How can you capture the heart of your guests more than just serving them great food and luscious drinks? Provide a space where they’ll surely enjoy their drinks. To give you an idea, here are 5 design considerations in planning your bar’s floor plan.
Ingress and Egress
The idiom “Don’t judge by its cover” doesn’t usually apply in a bar’s space planning. The ingress and egress design of a bar is the icon of the establishment. The exterior design should highlight the means of entry to the bar. Most people use glass doors so passersby get a view of the inside. Prove the worth of having drinks at your bar by giving them the uncertainty of why they should try.
The ingress distinguishes the entry of an establishment. Having an effective entry will intrigue the guests on what to expect upon entering. The placement of the ingress should be placed where the common area can easily be accessed.
The egress distinguishes the exit of an establishment. The goal of an exit is to come up with an exiting design that will give them a reason to come back. It would be best to utilize a two-way grand door to ensure the safety of your guests in case of emergency.
Accessibility
The accessibility of your bar is the basis of how the utilization of areas will be maximized. Take into consideration the human traffic inside the bar. Where do people usually stay? What are the highlight spaces of your bar? Scrutinize the movements of your guests to have a better perspective of space planning and programming.
The common area should be accessible to your bar’s other facilities. It should be interconnected with the comfort rooms, patio, and the bartender’s space. This will provide ease in terms of going to different places inside your bar. An accessible bar design will provide solutions for early conflicts regarding space utilization.
The bar’s goal is to cater to all types of people. Providing low-efforts for people who are physically challenged is highly prioritized. It would be best to limit the travel distances from the parking lot or sidewalks to the entry point of the bar.
Acoustics
Acoustics play a significant part in coming up with an effective space planning of a bar. A bar is an establishment known for its great drinks and groovy music. What better way of enjoying the music than toning the volume up without disturbing the neighboring establishments? Some prefer soundproofing their walls while some prefer noise reduction materials. Either way, this is a great idea for the guests to enjoy the music without compromising the neighbors.
Lighting
A bar is known for its blinking lights and neon signages. It depends on the look you want to achieve for your bar. To give you an idea, here are lighting design examples suitable for your bar:
The Primary Icon
The Primary Icon is an example of contemporary linear lighting design. On the image above you can see how the edges are highlighted by the lights. They installed the best-LED neon strip lights <do-follow> for the counter and the ceiling design. It’s a stylish yet simple design that will stun your guests at first sight!
The Lighting Illusion
The Lighting Illusion is an example of minimalist contemporary lighting design. As you can see on the image above, the pendant lights created shadows of arrays. The warm lights gave an ambiance for people seeking comfort and relaxation while having drinks.
The Simply Recessed
The Simply Recessed is an art deco-inspired lighting design. They used mirrors for the wall design with geometrical shapes for the center accent piece. The lights used were recessed lights. The ambiance looks bright because of how light bounces to the mirrors.
Utilization of Spaces
The utilization of spaces explains how the total lot area is maximized through effective planning. Usually, they create a bubble diagram sketch to distinguish the placement of space inside a bar. Effective planning is also a big help in putting no space to waste.
Comfort Rooms
Comfort rooms are one of the most visited areas inside a bar. This is the place where people redeem themselves when they had too much to drink. It would be best to plot it in an area where it can be easily accessed from the common area. Plan your comfort room with a little extra. This is to give way for physically-challenged people. This proves how open your bar is for everybody. Locate it in an area where it takes low-effort to travel to.
Bartending Area
The bartending area should be easily accessed from the common area. Providing a workable space for the bartender is a big help for a customer-satisfactory service. The spaces should be based on the anthropometrics of the bartenders. This will prevent it from looking crowded and avoid breakages too. The space designated for the bartending area should be enough for the beer tap, alcohol display, and washing area.
Conclusion
Each one has a favorite spot to enjoy their drinks. It can be the stools in front of the bartenders, the solemn corners, or the center spot for interaction. It depends on the type of people you’ll be catering to. The taste of your served beverages, food and ambiance are nothing without an effective space plan to house your guests.
