Hey, Rick Uzubell again from Cabaret Design Group,
answering the question,
"How Much Does Bar Equipment Really Cost?"
How much does bar equipment cost?
What equipment is needed to build a bar?
This post includes a price list of the
equipment commonly specified in bar design.
What equipment is needed to build a commercial bar?
The world of bar equipment
can be overwhelming to the
average person. If you've ever looked
behind a bar and studied the equipment,
and I do this all the time, you'll notice
that the possible configurations seems
nearly limitless. Of course, there are
many reasons for the equipment people
select for their bars, and some of these
reasons don't make much sense -- which
leads to bartender inefficiency and lost
profits. However, even among experts, there
is often more than one solution for a
given bar (design). At the core of the equipment
decision-making process is the concept
of ergonomic bar design, which I
discuss in another Vlog post, referenced below.
Depending on sizes, features and make,
there can be a great disparity in
bar equipment pricing. The big names in
stainless bar equipment are Glastender,
Perlick, Crown Metal and True
Manufacturing. For underbar and backbar equipment,
I'm most familiar with
Glastender pricing, as it's the brand I
like best. The following are the average
retail prices for the most commonly
specified equipment in commercial bar design.
Dump sinks are used for discarding
residue from used drink glasses, as shown
here, with this Glastender Model SWA-12,
with an average price of $600.00
Hand sinks, used for hand washing,
as shown here with this Glastender
Model HSA-12, at an average price of $600.00
Note that some health
departments require more than one hand sink.
3-bin sinks, most typically used
for washing bar glassware, as shown here
with this Glastender Model FSA-84-S, at
an average price of $1,625.00
Glass washers, which consists of various types
and models, are used in lieu of 3-bin sinks,
as shown here with this
Glastender Model GT 18, a rack-type washer,
at an average price of $3,730.00
A very popular
high-production glass washer would be the
Moyer Diebel Model DF, shown here at an
average price of $6,200.00
Note that while some
health departments require 3-bin sinks,
there is an effective "work-around,"
where you can use a more highly-desired
and efficient glass washer and still be
in compliance, as described in an earlier
post, referenced below.
Drainboards, which are used as a staging area for
freshly-washed glasses, as shown here with this
Glastender Model DBA-24, at an average
price of $400.00. Please note, this does not
include the optional speed rail, shown here.
Soda guns, which are attached
to the cold plate of your
ice bin and use for dispensing soda
during drink preparation, as shown with
this Glastender Model SHB-4 at an
average price of $270.00
Please note that some
distributors of syrups in certain areas
of the (U.S.) country will actually install and
provide all this equipment free-of-charge.
Ice bins, which hold ice
and generally include a cold plate for
accommodating multiple soda lines for
cold drink preparation, as shown with
this Glastender Model CBA-36R-CP-10,
at an average retail price of $1,800.00
Speed rails, which are
optional stainless steel racks used to
hold mixers, well liquor, and an owner's
top-selling premium liquor and typically
attached to the front of drainboards,
ice bins and 3-bin sinks. For further
discussion, please see the post referenced below.
Shown here is the Glastender
single speed rail, Model SSR-36, at an
average retail price of $100.00.
Blender stations, where drinks
are blended, such as frozen drinks.
Shown here is the Glastender Model DBSA-24,
with optional drainboard, at an average
retail price of $380.00.
POS podiums, custom designed for
maximum bartender efficiency are custom
designed per order and the average retail
price is $800.00.
Backbar coolers, used for storing beer and wine,
such as this Glastender Model BB60,
shown here with stainless finish and
glass doors at an average retail price of $2,600.00
Slide-top coolers, which can be placed under the front
bar or back bar, such as this Glastender Model ST48-B,
at an average retail price of $2,180.00.
Waste baskets, which are often
underestimated and every bar needs
plenty of, the industry standard is the
"Slim Jim" by Rubbermaid, Model S9971,
at an average retail price of $45.00.
Ice machines, which are typically stored
back-of-the-house; ice bins are often
sold as an accessory. Shown here
is the Hoshizaki Model IM-500 SAA, a
500-pound ice machine, at an average
retail price of $3,640.00, and the
Hoshizaki Model B-700SF ice bin, at an average
retail price of $1,100.00.
To put all this into perspective, say you
want to price a single station of
underbar equipment. To accomplish this,
you'll need a dump sink, a waste basket, a
3-bin sink with drainboards, a soda gun,
an ice bin with cold plate, a blender
station and a POS station, which totals
to $6,075.00. You'll have to add for draft
beer and coolers, if necessary. Draft beer
systems is a subject unto itself, and which
requires much discussion and many
decisions. I cover draft beer systems in
a separate Vlog, listed below.
Here you see the price list of all the items that
I discussed earlier, with their individual
prices, and this list is downloadable as
a PDF and just follow the link at the
end of the Vlog.