How to Design a Commercial Bar | Design Ideas from Beaufurn

Cities are coming back! Public venues are again starting to fill, and you can feel the energy surging. Restaurants and bar patrons can once again gather for familiar conversation or new encounters. Still, the pandemic will likely inform designer decisions. For example, “personal space” might be a bit different, and commercial bar furniture that’s easily cleaned, and durable will be a priority.

Beaufurn provides indoor and outdoor commercial bar furniture that enables designers to create safe, healthy customer environments. We have the quality designers expect in bar room furniture. Best of all: we offer flexibility in barstool type, base, frame, and materials. Let’s explore how to design a commercial bar.

Is It a Bar Redesign or a New Design?

The life cycle for commercial bar designs is about 10 years. You’ll have more flexibility if the commercial bar design is new but if you’re redesigning an existing bar, you can still create a phenomenal bar room.

Ensure the bar stations remain efficient while creating a space that looks and feel like it was always meant to be a bar.

What is Your Bar or Restaurant Aesthetic?

Whether a new design altogether or a retrofit, all the elements in your bar or restaurant need to create a comprehensive aesthetic.

Is it a restaurant bar, sports bar, or nightclub? Will there be a bartender station, walk-up bar, seating area? This Bar Designers video provides helpful information, including 7 commercial bar finishing options to consider when creating a commercial bar design.

Bar Seating Options in Design

Easily identifiable seating options will make your bar inviting and immediately provide guests with an instinct to enter and stay awhile. Patrons will notice a stylish bar and will start to adopt it as their own.

Backless barstools, like the retro Beaufurn Cone Stool, can help maximize space in a more intimate setting, creating a feeling of more openness. Upholstery for this seat is available in any of our graded fabrics or COM. Matching tables in dining or bar height are available.

Barstools with backs and arms, however, can create a sense of secured, private space. Our Astra Barstool is a very modern style of seating for upscale restaurants, bars, and hotels. Seats are available in your fabric or one of our graded fabrics.

What’s The Best Barstool Height?

The best height from floor to bar top is about 42”-48” and, typically, the idea barstool height is between 29” and 36” tall.

Our Allure Collection consists of uniquely designed chairs and barstools in six styles of bases to give your chair its own individual look. Base options include fixed, and swivel flared legs, standard tapered legs, tapered legs with an exposed wood edge, sled, and swivel metal pedestal.

How Much Space Between Bar Stools?

Ideally, you should leave 24”-30” between patron and bartender, as well as between patron-to-patron sitting at a pub table. We suggest creating a space of 8”-10” between each stool along a bar’s edge. As people start to feel more confident post-pandemic, this spacing can be lessened to better suit 100% capacity.

How to Create a Bistro Bar?

French Bistro is a timeless design that can create a casual yet elegant bar setting. It’s one of the most inviting aesthetics. The Beaufurn French Bistro collection is elegant, durable, and provides European charm to any outdoor (and indoor) bar or lounge setting.

Designers can choose between various patterns, weave material, frames, and colors. Each Bistro Barstool is handmade by European craftsmen.

Of course, while the bar design is one of the most important elements of a venue’s success, the food and beverage is the most important. We raise a crisp, refreshing glass of champagne to the convivial environment you’ll create! For more information about our commercial bar furniture, contact us today.