Modern-day fit-outs are designed to impress. Cheap fit-outs tend not to age well (in terms of style) but high-end fit-outs also tend not to allow for expansion or change of direction over time. General guidelines apply, the most important factor is that what you choose should reflect your business and hopefully bring in additional revenue (e.g. through branding).
There is no point in having a cool looking bar that doesn’t work financially – you will go bankrupt!
While clever design can make a big difference to the overall atmosphere of a bar, so too can lighting. Lighting not only helps set the mood and ambience in a bar but also has a very practical side when it comes to aiding drink service. The following are some different types of lighting you might want to consider if you’re looking for ways to improve your bar’s appeal or simply help staff do their jobs more efficiently.
It’s also impossible to cover every aspect of the bar industry, but here are some tips which can help you get ahead.
Ambient
This type of lighting is used primarily to create an ambient atmosphere, usually, one that’s warm and friendly. It’s ideal for low-lit bars where patrons will be sitting at tables and booths rather than standing around the bar itself. Ambient light gives off plenty of illumination without being harsh and is bright enough to read by, allowing patrons and bartenders alike to make out people’s faces and menus without having to strain their eyes.
General
General lighting is used when you need more than ambient light but not as much as direct light. This includes things like lamps, ceiling lights and wall fixtures providing general illumination for the room. While almost any type of light can be considered general lighting, this label typically refers to standard table lamps or sconces that don’t cast shadows in any particular direction.
Mood Lighting
This type of lighting has a soft quality that makes it perfect for creating warm atmospheres in bars. Like ambient light, mood lighting will give off plenty of illumination without being too harsh with colours that accentuate skin tones.
This is light that’s used specifically to aid bartenders when serving customers drinks. It’s often positioned above the work area and pointed down towards the bar counter so bartenders can see what they’re doing when preparing drinks. Without this kind of lighting, customers’ faces will be well illuminated while behind them everything else will be cast in shadows – not very conducive to bar service!
Backlighting
A bar can be made to appear more interesting by backlighting its bottles so that they glow when in use. This type of lighting highlights the visual appeal of the drinks you serve without being too bright or distinct, making it perfect for low-lit bars where patrons are sitting at tables instead of standing around the bar itself.
Task Lighting
This is light that’s used specifically to aid bartenders when serving customers drinks. It’s often positioned above the work area and pointed down towards the bar counter so bartenders can see what they’re doing when preparing drinks. Without this kind of lighting, customers’ faces will be well illuminated while behind them everything else will be cast in shadows – not very conducive to bar service!
Stockout your bar with the equipment before opening
Don’t wait for deliveries to come in during operating hours! Never pay full price for anything. Get quotes from multiple suppliers and negotiate hard – it’s never too early to deal… Stock is everything when running a busy business, so keep some reserves on hand at all times – even if you think that what you have remaining will last forever!
You’ll quickly find that cash flow permitting, it’s always better to have some extra stock on the shelf than nothing at all.
Don’t spend money on things that do not contribute directly to serving drinks! This includes expensive bathrooms (just put some nice tiles in the gents and be done with it!), large aquariums (which are very difficult to keep clean) or any other fancy features which don’t serve an obvious purpose.
Keep your staff happy!
This applies both to your front-of-house team as much as the people working in the kitchen. Hire well, train well – but never underestimate the value of a decent bonus package at Christmas time. Consider all costs before you decide that something is worth doing – no one ever failed because they didn’t buy enough stock!
Your business plan should have covered this already, so if there is anything you’re not sure about then just call for advice.
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