A high-quality beverage program is more crucial than ever to the success of a restaurant or hospitality operation.
Today’s bar programs require the integration of signature alcohol-based cocktails, a full line of delectable mocktails and a multitude of draft beer options.
Clearly the design of the bar can set a business apart and be the reason a customer decides to return. The standard bar designs of Pre-Pandemic life simply can’t handle the ergonomics of bartending in 2024.
With efficiency and maximum profits in mind, New Jersey based manufacturer Krowne has revolutionized how bars are designed.
Krowne’s high-end bar designs and cutting-edge technology, has given bartenders the effective tools needed to craft quality beverages while maintaining positive relationships with guests.
For 75 years, Krowne manufacturing has provided American food service operations with top-notch machinery ranging from underbar, refrigeration, plumbing, sinks, and beverage dispensing systems.
Their newest bar equipment and technology has been backed and designed with the help of bartending ambassadors in an aim to ensure that each design can be utilized by real bartenders to the fullest.
“When I got into the business, I noticed that all of the design being done by our competitors’ space was coming from a person sitting behind a desk, rather than actual bartenders”, said Kyle Forman, President of Krowne since 2020.
Forman and the team at Krowne took this information and ran with it, partnering with seven world-class bartenders and mixologists to create experience-driven designs backed by professionals.
Among the ambassadors are Bad Birdy, Cocktails by Hawk, LP Drinks, and Lynette Marrero, each of whom have years of experience in the bartending business.
The Bad Birdy Mobile Bar is a great representative of how the ambassador program has given Krowne an edge in the realm of bar systems and designs, explained Forman.
It is a full mobile bar including a five-step liquor display, a drop-in drainboard, dedicated ice bins, and a dump sink. Although it is a mobile design, it is nevertheless efficient and designed with the intention of replicating a real-bar experience.
It ships completely assembled to provide users with ease from the very beginning.
Another piece of equipment that clearly kept the bartender in mind is Krowne’s modular bar die system. Much like the Bad Birdy Mobile Bar, modular bars come assembled in sections up to eight feet.
The manufacturer will design custom bars for clients fitting the dimensions of the space. Modular bars can be installed two to three times faster than traditional equipment on legs.
“It’s so much cleaner, so much simpler, and the final fit and finish is far better,” said Forman. “As soon as someone uses modular bars, they’ll never go back to legs.”
While Krowne’s modular bars are built with efficiency in mind, they are also built to promote health, safety, and an overall clean image.
Without legs, stainless steel reaches the floor, hiding exposed drains, plumbing lines, and potential debris.
Additionally, Krowne offers glass rinsers which provides bartenders with tools to keep utensils clean in a quick and tidy manner.
“We’re utilizing every bit of dead space to optimize and improve efficiency across the bar design,” said Forman.
The modular bars can be built in various shapes and sizes, depending on the shape of its intended setup. Besides shapes, Krowne also offers different aesthetical choices from black vinyl to stainless steel to custom graphics.
“We listen to what [the bar owners] are trying to achieve. Then our expert team comes in and designs around that,” Forman continued, highlighting the customizability and cooperation Krowne offers its clients.
Forman’s vision to create ambassadors for the Krowne brand led to a partnership with TV’s Jon Taffer last year. Taffer and his team needed a bar solution for their Taffer’s Tavern locations across the US.
Through intensive research, design and testing, Jon and the Krowne team crafted a station that achieved perfection in flow, functionality, and profitability.
By utilizing the latest technology blended with augmented reality and Krowne’s groundbreaking bar configurator, BarFlex3D, the team was able to stress-test hundreds of setups before producing the final design.
“Krowne and I have created a groundbreaking station that will disrupt bar design as we know it,” Taffer noted.
The Krowne/Taffer station redefined the status quo of bar design through forward-thinking Bluetooth compatibility to automate soda gun cleaning, coveted freezer storage for large craft ice, and a hybrid space saving dual sink for touchless hand washing and glass dumping.
The station also has an integrated cutting board for preparation of fresh garnishes, a speed rinser for mixing tins and glasses, and a dipperwell for specialty tools along with ample garnish, elixir, and liquor bottle storage.
With an understanding of the aesthetics of the Taffer Tavern mission, Krowne even added a flush-mounted liquid CO2 glass chiller for instant chilling, sanitizing and flair to add the x-factor to any cocktail program.
As 2024 unfolds, Krowne is continuing to work on and release innovative solutions that are backed by professionals in the industry.
One of these solutions is the BarFlexPro, a continuation of the 2019 BarFlex bar designer. “It plays perfectly into what we do with our ambassadors,” Forman said.
In addition to the user-friendly software, Krowne also offers BeerFlex, which allows users to design complex beverage dispensing systems with a built-in return on investment calculator.
“It would blow your mind to see how profitable a well-thought-out beverage dispensing system is,” Forman said. “Usually within a month, [business] can see a full return on investment.”
Perhaps the most futuristic is Krowne’s recent collaboration with Makr Shakr. Makr Shakr automates the bar process and can churn out 260 drinks per hour.
Forman sees it as beneficial especially for places like casinos, where there is a constant demand for simple drinks.
In the end, he explained that Makr Shakr, along with the rest of Krowne’s designs, intends to help bartenders focus on the bar experience and to help them build relationships with guests.
“There’s no bigger believer in bartenders than us,” Forman said, a statement that rings true in each of their thoughtful, innovative designs.
The Krowne team is ready to assist operators and designers with their next bar design. Information, including specifications and customization options, is available at Krowne website or via phone at (800) 631-0442.
