Going out for the evening with friends and family to your local bar or tavern is a great way to blow off some steam and forget your life’s worries for a few hours. Or maybe you travel away from your local area to a bar that you know is great. So what makes a bar great? What makes you choose to travel for your evening out, rather than go to your closest venue? The Atmosphere!
When you’re decorating your bar, remember that your furniture will be largely instrumental in creating the atmosphere you’re looking for in your bar. Through the creative use of bar furniture, you will be able to create your own little piece of perfection, and your new customers will quickly become regulars as your reputation grows.
Your furniture should reflect your personality, or at least that of your venue. Your furniture becomes an extension of you and will echo the atmosphere you’re wanting to create. When you first start out on your design journey, you need to think about the style you’re wanting. Are you going for the classic old tavern style with rustic wood charm, or are you wanting something more modern and funky?
How does my style affect the bar furniture I choose?
You may have already started on your design journey, or maybe you haven’t. If you have, you will have found there are so many options available out there. It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but the easiest way to narrow it down, is to decide on what look you’re going for in your venue.
“In most bars, the furniture can vary depending on the style. A handy tip I like to use when designing a bar is to list down the seperate areas or seating styles needed. These can include: TAB area, pool table area, high seating, low seating, family/group tables, booth seating, lounge area and more. From here, we can much easier work out the layout.”
– Jarrad Dartnall, National Sales Manager at Adage Furniture.
If you’re looking for something more traditional and classic, you might want to look at upholstered seating or timber seating. Darker, moodier colours might be something you want to consider, rather than the bold and bright. Choosing timber tones or marble patterns for your table tops might also be a good option for you to look at.
However, if you’re looking for something on the more modern side, perhaps you’d want to look at incorporating some colour. Using polypropylene chairs and stools are a great way to bring in the bold and bright without compromising on style and quality. The great thing about polypropylene is the colourful options they give you. Mix and match and bring out the vibrant side of you in your bar.
The layout of your bar will also affect the furniture you choose to use. Perhaps you want to have some private areas where people can have their drinks privately with their group of friends. Or perhaps you want something a bit louder and more convivial. Your furniture needs to let customers know what they can expect from when they walk through the door.
How will the layout of my bar furniture affect my decisions?
When you are choosing your new furniture, the layout of said furniture is very important. How you decide to fit out your space will affect the quantity of furniture you buy. It may also affect the type of furniture you have. You may choose to have more smaller cocktail tables for people to stand against to save space, or you may want larger bar tables with stools for guests to sit at. You might also want to include dining height seating and booth seating for your customers to relax in.
Including a variety of table sizing and heights will cater for groups of different temperament and size. By allowing for the differences in groups that come in, you will be able to service more people that walk through your doors.
When you’re working through your layout, you need to decide what sort of bar you want to have. Do you want to include dining height furniture? Do you want booth seating? Do you want cocktail tables or just bar tables, or both? Your answers to these questions will be a sure start in designing the layout of your space. Once you know the type of furniture you want, you can start on the layout. Drawing up your venue and creating a layout plan will allow you to come up with a quantity of furniture that will adequately fill your venue to its capacity without overfilling it. If you’re not sure where to start with your venue plan, get in touch with our team today!
Now you’ve thought about style and layout, the final major factor affecting your furniture choice is quality.
How does quality affect my choice in bar furniture?
Bars, Taverns and Pubs are venues that are one of the most frequented of all in the hospitality industry. For this reason, the furniture used must be durable and of high quality. However, durable doesn’t mean uncomfortable. Customers must feel at home, and they want to sit comfortably while they’re enjoying their drinks or watching their favourite band play.
Furniture in bars, taverns and pubs tends to get moved around a lot to accommodate groups of various sizes as well as activities and events of different themes. This exposes the furniture to a significant amount of rough handling and a lot of wear and tear. Furniture used in the outdoor areas are also subjected to the elements and harsh weather conditions. Therefore, portability and durability are essential in choosing bar furniture that will last a lifetime.
When you choose your new furniture, watch that it is commercial grade. Only commercial grade furniture will last in the hospitality industry. Anything that is domestic grade will fall apart straight away. Another thing to watch for is warranty. The warranty on your furniture is a guarantee of how long the supplier thinks the furniture to last and is therefore a good indication of the quality of the furniture. If your new furniture says that it is commercial furniture but doesn’t come with a warranty, you can be sure that it isn’t great quality.
If this is all still sounding a bit daunting and overwhelming, get in touch with our team. Our life revolves around people like you and we love helping venue owners around Australia on their design journey. Start yours today!
About the Author
Jarrad Dartnall
With close to a decade of industry-specific experience under his belt, Jarrad Dartnall is a seasoned professional in the field of hospitality furniture solutions. As the National Sales Manager for our company, Jarrad brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and expertise to the table (quite literally!).