A Quick Guide To Bar Equipment

By Jamal Brooks


Like most businesses, a restaurant or bar starts with a dream. Once prospective owners have generated an idea, and have found money, and a location, the dream will be on its way to becoming a reality. If restaurants hope to make money from bar sales, they should be well-stocked with spirits, as well as with the right bar equipment.

Restaurant owners should start by purchasing essential glassware. Essential glassware includes beer, wine, shot, and martini glasses. Glassware should be spotless before drinks are served to customers. Glasses should be washed in warm water, with a touch of detergent, and then rinsed with cold water. Bartenders should hold the glass by the stem, while drying, to prevent fingerprints.

Mishandled glassware could result in injury, so care is required. Broken glasses, or spills, should be cleaned up immediately, for the safety of employees and customers. Pouring a very hot liquid into a cold glass, may cause thermal shock, which will shatter the glass. If glass ever breaks near a bin of ice, bartenders should take the precaution of throwing out the ice. Bartenders should avoid clanking glasses together, and should never use glass to scoop ice.

Bars should be stocked with certain essential tools. The key equipment comes from the family of cocktail mixers, which includes shakers, middlers, jiggers, strainers, and pourers. Installing a cocktail rack behind the bar will keep mixers stored in a handy, easy-to-access location. Bar owners should also purchase countertop mats, for drink mixing, ice buckets, corkscrews, and bottle openers. Rimmers are needed if serving margaritas, and cutting boards are needed for fresh garnishes.

Bars need certain appliances and other hardware. For proper drink serving, bartenders need beer and wine dispensers, ice makers, and either coolers or kegerators. Glass bar racks are important for storing glassware, while bar sinks and glass washers will keep both glasses, and tools, neat and tidy. Obviously, owners should not forget to install a cash register, of another POS system.

Accessories are the final piece in a well-stocked bar. Coasters, napkins, straws, and garnish caddies are small, yet essential, pieces. Also, owners should remember to buy cleaning supplies, through a delivery service, from a store, or via mail-order.

Business owners may use the internet, or the yellow pages, to find equipment retailers. Good sources for equipment include restaurant supply companies, catering supply companies, and wholesalers. For their own protection, and to ensure that they receive a high-quality product, owners should only interact with well-respected entities. History, and complaint resolution, may be checked with The Office of Trading Standards.

The time to obtain licenses and permits is during the bar's setup, not after. Bars will need any state-required licenses, permits for alcohol, and permits for food handling. The time during installation is also the time to put together a staff, consisting of people with a background in the restaurant or bar industry. With the right bar equipment, a solid business plan, and a little luck, a new bar will become a successful, money-making venture.




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