A Quick Guide To Bar Equipment

By Elen Walter


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.

Broken glass may be a major source of injury, so care should be taken. Employees should clean up spills and breakages immediately, for their own safety, as well as for customer safety. Also, employees should never pour a very hot liquid into a very cold glass, because the thermal shock may shatter glass. If bartenders ever break a glass near the ice bin, they should throw out the ice, to avoid accidental contamination. Also, glasses should never be used for scooping ice, and they should never be clanked together.

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.

Owners will need to install essential hardware. Coolers, or kegerators, ice makers, and beer and wine dispensers are needed for making basic drinks. A bar sink and a glass washer will help to keep things clean, while a glass bar rack will make storage of glasses easy, and worry-free. Another key piece of non-drink related hardware is the cash register, or some kind of point-of-sale 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.

Owners may search the yellow pages, or the internet, to search for retailers. Catering supply companies, restaurant supply companies, and wholesalers are excellent resources equipment purchases. Before doing business with any retailer, owners should ensure that they are well-respected, by consulting the Office of Trading Standards.

After purchasing equipment, owners will need to retain licenses and permits. The best time for health inspections and licensing, is during the installation phase of the bar or restaurant. Bar owners should also hire staff during the installation phase, focusing on team members with food service or bar industry backgrounds. After purchasing top-notch bar equipment, creating a solid business plan, and placating Lady Luck, bar owners will be able to enjoy a thriving, profitable business venture.




About the Author:



Grab The Post URL

URL:
HTML link code:
BB (forum) link code:

Leave a comment

  • Google+
  • 0Blogger
  • Facebook
  • Disqus

0 Response to "A Quick Guide To Bar Equipment"

Post a Comment

comments powered by Disqus