{"id":1274,"date":"2022-10-21T11:52:40","date_gmt":"2022-10-21T11:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.campariacademy.com\/es-ar\/?p=1274"},"modified":"2022-11-30T09:34:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T09:34:41","slug":"behind-bars-changing-the-status-quo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.campariacademy.com\/es-ar\/inspiracion\/behind-bars-changing-the-status-quo\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing the Status Quo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Behind Bars is a design company that\u2019s trying to progress the bar design industry to keep pace with the wider hospitality industry. Our company was founded back in 2015 by Alex Ruas and myself, Sam Millin \u2013 two friends with a background as bartenders. Originally a consulting agency, we understood pretty quickly that working with predominantly kitchen suppliers to create fit-for-purpose bar stations for the needs of a forward-thinking venue was almost impossible.\u00a0 We faced so much resistance to change, to innovate, to listen to what we as bartenders needed, that we decided we\u2019d try to do it ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the beginning, it was tough.\u00a0 We were both working our night jobs, trying to grow the company. Neither of us are trained designers, so we were quickly learning the constraints between design and manufacturing, and we were facing all the challenges of running a business for the first time. Today, we\u2019ve grown to 12 amazing people across 4 countries and the team includes bartenders, engineers, industrial designers and project managers with the majority based in our offices in Oslo, Norway.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Product development of custom trolley (credits – Behind Bars Agency)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Computer modelling (credits – Behind Bars Agency)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve successfully collaborated on over 300 projects across 26 countries, working with all types of clients from the biggest hotel chains to best-in-class cocktail bars, to the smallest, independently owned bars and restaurants.\u00a0And although our list of clients encompasses different types of businesses, they typically share aspirations of being best in their specific category.\u00a0 This aspiration typically means an openness to creating a bar station that is fit for purpose, to an investment in the working space of its bartenders. Working with partners that are open to change inspires us to innovate, and one of our driving forces is trying to use that innovation to develop our industry through thoughtful and collaborative design of high quality, highly functional bar stations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For our team, the bar station presents a multifaceted design challenge that we try our best to solve for each project.\u00a0 Every time we sit down to configure a bar, we\u2019re thinking about 3 groups.\u00a0 The bartender, the owner, and the guest.\u00a0 Each has unique yet overlapping expectations of what a bar station needs to do and how we design will impact on the experience of each.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever thought about designing your own venue or bar station you\u2019ve, maybe indirectly, been catering towards these 3 groups, and hopefully our experience and insights will shed some fresh ideas from a professional bar design perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Bamboo Bar in Bologna, a peak behind their Behind Bars delivered station
Image Credit: Stephan Paun : Stefan Paun (@stefanpaun.ph)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the bartender<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bar station must allow the bartender to do their job.\u00a0 That is, the station must be designed to enable the bartender to execute the specific concept of the venue while also containing an element of flexibility to adapt as the venue and its concept matures. It also needs to provide a comfortable, intuitive and safe working environment for the bartender. Like anyone else, bartenders should be motivated by their workspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Building the right layout
Image Credit:  Behind Bars Agency<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An important aspect of our design philosophy is understanding the bartender’s needs. There should be a proper understanding of the type of service and menu offering, staff expectation and workflow, and the ambition of the overall bar outputs before a proper bar solution can be realised. As early as possible in the design phase, we advocate bringing the people who will be working behind the bar to the table to collaborate.\u00a0 Bartenders hold so much critically specific knowledge that it makes sense that they are involved in designing their workspace, as chefs often are in kitchen design.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For return on investment<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a venue can\u2019t generate enough revenue, it\u2019ll eventually close. When we\u2019re looking at space allocated to bar stations by architects on floor plans, an early question we ask stakeholders is regarding expected revenue.\u00a0 Bartenders can only do so much with what they\u2019re allocated, but a good way to think about a bar, in the early stages, is how much money does it need to generate to keep the venue open.\u00a0 Once all parties involved are\u00a0 aligned on this, we can design our stations accordingly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Workflow Mapping\nImage Credit: Behind Bars Agency\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are a few things that will limit a bar’s productivity.\u00a0 It’s what we call the Functional Capacity<\/em>, but it\u2019s basically the inputs needed to create the outputs (drinks).\u00a0 How many stations does the bar have? How big are the ice wells? How much glass storage is there? How many POS\u2019s? Put simply, how often and for how long do bartenders need to stop serving per shift?\u00a0 These constraints are critical to understand and are measurable, and we want this information in order to design accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Soma London flushed bar station, view from corner of venue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Soma London flushed bar station, view from end of island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Image credits: Felix Speller : interiors \/ exteriors – Felix Speller<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the guest<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bar station also presents an opportunity to frame the interaction between guests, and between bartenders and guests. Understanding how\u00a0 form and function of the bar impacts the overall guest experience of your venue and team\u00a0 is critical for the success of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
VR experience with our clients <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Exploring the entire flow of the venue and how the bar fits in VR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Image Credits: Behind Bars Agency<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At Behind Bars we see the bar as the beating heart of the front-of-house.\u00a0 Besides being a working space and a revenue generator, the bar station provides a touchpoint for guests to be engaged, educated and informed.\u00a0 This is a common conversation we have with our clients; \u2018How can we create interaction within our venue, how can we create experiences?\u2019.\u00a0 For us, this interaction can absolutely be encouraged by thoughtful design.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A DEDICATION TO DEVELOPMENT<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our industry is incredibly fluid.\u00a0 It\u2019s constantly evolving and improving.\u00a0 Since we started working in bars in the early 2000\u2019s, the industry has gone through a revolution.\u00a0Bartenders and venues are doing things that have never been seen before, and that development and evolution is on-going.\u00a0 Behind Bars originated from a dedication to move the industry forward. We want to continue to enable bartenders as the profession evolves, and provide new opportunities, perspective and inspiration with what bar stations can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
https:\/\/youtu.be\/FWONFyB7fw0<\/a>