Refrigeration, Storage & Handling

Check out vendor-neutral guides to specific product types below.

Advertisement

What to Consider When Purchasing Underbar Equipment

Steve Waltz, senior associate/project manager at Cini-Little International, Inc., based in Washington, D.C., discusses the important factors to consider when choosing underbar equipment.

  • The bar’s size and volume of business dictate the equipment that’s needed. The walk-up volume will be impacted if there is a service bar nearby.
  • All underbar components must meet local health department codes.
  • Bartenders will need a place for wet waste, such as a dump station in a three-compartment sink or in a designated sink typically located to the right of the cocktail station.
  • Today, beer towers are becoming larger, averaging between 8 to 10 faucets.
  • Equipment is available that holds and stores
    house red and white wine that is just as effective as bottles.
  • More underbars are incorporating upscale prep stations with refrigerated drawers to store fresh herbs and fruit for specialty cocktails.
  • Drainboards with cabinets underneath can create more storage, as can small cabinets, which are more apt to be integrated into the underbar.
  • Many don’t understand the elements of craft beer, which include active yeast and enzymes that can stick to the inside of draft lines. For this reason, operators need to be aware that these systems need weekly or biweekly cleaning as opposed to monthly cleaning as with traditional beer lines.
  • Glass rinsers are recommended as craft beers pour better in wet glassware. This is because there is less friction in the glass, which restricts foaming.
  • Because growlers to go have become more popular for craft beer, consider specialized equipment designed to fill these containers.