Creating efficiency behind the bar
Opening a new cocktail bar can be a challenging but very rewarding endeavor, and speaking from experience, Timo Janse, Owner at Flying Dutchman Cocktails, one of Time Out’s top ten bars in Amsterdam, shares advice on how to create efficiency behind the bar to help bar owners on their journey.

What are the hidden challenges of opening a bar?
Enthusiastic mixologists preparing to open a bar often dive straight into creating their signature menu, however, few consider the impact of poor bar layout planning.

Investing in storage and space

“When you’re opening a bar you need to create a welcoming space for your guests and keep their experience at the forefront of your design. New bar owners need to pragmatically consider how bartenders will work and strategically maximise the space behind the bar.” Timo Janse, Owner at Flying Dutchman Cocktails and Hoshizaki ambassador.

To ensure smooth service, Timo also suggests, “all glassware and equipment should be within arms reach behind the bar. Your ice machine should be as close to your station as possible, as it’s your most time-sensitive ingredient and there is no substitute for ice during busy service.

Another common oversight is selecting the right size ice machine for your establishment. Timo points out, “your ice machine needs to be big enough to serve the maximum bar capacity for two hours with ease.”

Maintaining waste management
Thinking logistically with a bar’s maximum capacity in mind, Timo stresses, “your waste bin needs enough capacity to hold a full day’s amount of rubbish. Bartenders shouldn’t have to empty the waste bin during service and guests should never see the trash being removed.”

Creating a space for comfort
Keeping the customer in mind, bar owners need to consider the complementary services and comforts customers have grown accustomed to, such as strategically placed USB charging points. Small details that put the customer experience at the forefront will ultimately help the bar succeed.

Smart storage solutions for small bar spaces
Bar owners need to consider what their fully stocked bar will look like and how it will function.

Bar owners need to identify what style of glasses their bar will use, as confirming these details at an early stage allows planners to create smart storage solutions which will help maximise vital bar space and improve the speed of service.

Ice machines for small spaces
Serving drinks at the perfect temperature is a must for any bar – which is why investing in high-quality ice machines and refrigerators needs to be a top priority for bar owners.

The vast majority of cocktail bars have limited space behind the bar. To remedy this Hoshizaki developed energy-efficient compact under-counter ice machines and refrigerators to create more bar space without sacrificing quality.

Hygiene solutions for behind the bar
Complying with health and safety requirements is critical for the food & beverage industry and all Hoshizaki machines are HACCP certified to help bar owners maintain these standards. Hoshizaki ice machines use a magnetic water pump that prevents leakage from the water circuit and the closed water circuit provides maximum protection against any type of contamination during the ice-making process. These solutions create precise shapes that are extremely compact and consistently identical.

Regular cleaning will help maintain the performance of your ice machine and refrigerator. To ensure high hygiene standards are maintained Hoshizaki created a cleaning guide to help bar owners keep their machines in the best condition.

Maintaining your machinery is a core component of bar management, as machine downtime can have costly knock-on effects to your order of service such as missed opportunities to upsell or unscheduled closures.

The benefits of proper preparation
Providing great service is the backbone of any successful bar. New bar owners can focus their attention and efforts on providing excellent customer service if they have a well-structured bar and reliable machinery.

A well-organised bar will give owners more opportunities to focus on cocktail creations, accurate pricing and other activities that will help them execute their concept smoothly.

Hoshizaki is dedicated to supporting bar owners across the globe – to learn more about new technologies and time-saving equipment, visit the contact us page to connect with a regional consultant.

Space Considerations

Enthusiastic mixologists preparing to open a bar often dive straight into creating their signature menu, however, few consider the impact of poor bar layout planning.

Creating a space that compliments the menu is important, as the layout of your establishment is the physical representation of the atmosphere you are trying to create.

“Anything visible to your guests needs to be aesthetically pleasing, it’s all about showcasing what you can sell and what your bar represents.” Timo Janse, Owner at Flying Dutchman Cocktails and Hoshizaki ambassador.

The layout behind the bar needs to be highly organized to maximize all the space available, as Timo says “every mm counts” and behind the bar at The Flying Dutchman Cocktails “every item on the menu is available within one step.”

Timo lists how each section behind his bar serves a functional purpose. The Flying Dutchman Cocktails back bar consists of “two large stations, a large insulated ice chest, two dividers, a rail of standardized baskets for garnishes and made to measure stainless steel buckets to maximize space and avoid pests.”

Timo continues explaining the pragmatic layout for the Flying Dutchman Cocktails features a “split washup station, one with a sieve to separate liquids from solids, and one for rinsing. A dedicated hot tap for cleaning and dissolving old ice and split tap with a cleaning cross for jiggers and shakers.”

All eyes on the bar

Effectively managing the floor space is critical for the flow of your bar. Timo continues describing The Flying Dutchman Cocktails saying “the entire bar is on a stage to give bartenders an elevated view of guests and everything is at an optimal height (86cm) and distance (50cm). The bar is a stage for entertaining and engaging with guests. Everything off-stage needs to be efficient and readily available. To maximise efficiency, bar owners need to define what is on stage and what is off stage and use those defined boundaries to shape the layout of their bar.”

Short ways for ice

Timo says “ice is the lifeline of a bar. You can survive without electricity, plumbing or heating for a night, but no ice for a night and service pretty much stops”.

Timo highlights “bar owners need to consider the size of their bar and the maximum amount of drinks they can serve in a two hour period – this number will tell them what size ice machine they will need.”

Timo continues saying “bar owners need to position their ice machine somewhere with easy access so service is not delayed.”

Other considerations Timo suggests bar owners incorporate into their decision-making process include, “the noise of the ice machine, will guests be able to hear it from its position? Will the ice machine have enough ventilation? The availability of power outlets and if there is access to a filtered water tap?”

Once you’ve considered all these factors you can search for an ice machine that meets all your criteria.

Every bar needs a reliable ice machine and identifying what requirements you’ll need will help create efficiency behind the bar.

Practical tools every bar should have

Keeping the customer in mind, bar owners need to consider the complimentary services and comforts customers have grown accustomed to, such as strategically placed USB charging points. Small details that put the customer experience at the forefront will ultimately help the bar succeed.

Managing a bar can be challenging if you are not equipped with the right tools. In addition to having a reliable ice machine that won’t breakdown mid-service, there are other technologies, tools and gadgets that can help keep service running smoothly and help maximise space.

A compact pedal bin is ideal for smaller spaces and great for hygiene as they don’t require hands to be opened.

Vacuum bottle stoppers are also a handy gadget as they create airtight seals on open bottles that allow them to be stacked horizontally saving space.

Automatic beer dispensers that can pour drinks to specific measurements are becoming more popular as they allow bartenders to focus on customer service, interacting with guests and making drinks that require attention to details and multiple ingredients.

These automatic beer dispensers are compact and remove the need to have multiple beer taps along the bar creating more space.

To find the perfect ice machine or dispenser for your bar, visit the contact us page to connect with a regional consultant and learn more about Hoshizaki’s range of ice machines and time-saving technologies.

DAMAGELESS BOTTLE COOLING

The ice is hard and compact, but thanks
to the smooth, round surface it is the
ideal ice type to prevent damages to
bottles and lables.

APPETIZING DISPLAY

Due to the crystal clear ice, you can
present your produce completely
covered and perfectly protected, but
still visible to your customer.

CHILLING DRINKS

Due to 0% impurities, the ice is perfectly
tasteless and the optimal base for your
cocktail creations.

OPTIMAL ICE TEMPERATURE

The temperature of the ice is exactly
0°C cold, hence unpleasant ‘freezeburns’
are prevented. The ice is
completely clear, allowing the produce
to be covered entirely, which helps to
maintain optimal temperatures around
your vulnerable and delicate foods.

THE EDGE

The most unbeaten characteristic of
Hoshizaki’s Crescent ice is its unique
form which allows splash-free serving of
post mix soft drinks, whilst being the most
economical ice, as it offers an optimal
drink discplacement.

NO CLUSTER

Round edges of the ice prevent clustering
when keeping it in buckets for beverage
cooling or in afresh meat, fish or buffet
display. Fresh produce or buffet bowls
can be rearranged constantly, without
any comprimises on texture or taste of
the produce.

Icey Techniques: Blanching

Cooking can be seen as a game in which the player has to use different factors, such as time and temperatures to bring each ingredient to its maximum potential.

Several cooking techniques involve ice, for example, to carefully chill stocks and soups.
One technique that includes “playing” not only with heat but also with the cold, is blanching. A widely known technique to prepare vegetables, which leans on the use of ice. But how come, most available information focuses on the hot phase of this cooking process, namely the steaming and boiling temperatures, or the cooking times for each vegetable. These definitely belong to the “need-to-knows” of every kitchen professional.

But how come we oversee the importance of that one key ingredient for this technique: the ice cube. Does it actually make sense to spend a fortune on the best and freshest produce, only to toss it into low-quality ice after boiling?

If you want to know more about how a good ice cube can determine your blanching success, you might want to keep reading…

Why good ice matters…
The bigger, harder, and compact the ice cubes used for the ice bath, the better you can control the temperature. It is these characteristics that determine how quickly the ice melts as soon as steaming hot vegetables are added. It is important to create an environment that can withstand this sudden temperature change to properly halt the cooking process. Counting in the heated ambient temperatures in commercial kitchens, slower melting ice cubes help to maintain an ideal temperature of exactly 0°Celsius. This prevents the ice bath become a lukewarm brew, once the well-drained, but hot vegetables are added’. If you really want to dig into the depth of blanching knowledge, we recommend the following read: Blanching of Foods

The Flavour
What happens behind the cell walls of the vegetable is that a so-called enzyme lipoxygenase (LOX) is inactivated. This enzyme is one of the main factors of “off-taste” development and present in many vegetables. When it comes to taste, there are two main reasons for blanching. One is for taste improvement, for example, to remove certain bitter agents, the other is to retain a certain aroma… In any case, it is crucial to use absolutely tasteless and freshly produced ice, to prevent any type of aroma alteration during the chilling process. One thing to look out for is ice makers that carry the HACCP certificate and are equipped with a filtering mechanism of any sort.

For suitable product, you can browse our selection of sustainable and durable Cubers

The Colour
Vegetables are plant materials that contain pigments, which cause red, green, or purple coloration in fruits or vegetables. The green colour in broccoli, haricots, or brussel sprouts is caused by chlorophyll, while red vegetables, such as carrots contain carotin. Both chlorophyll and carotin are sensitive to heat, quickly breaking down during the heating process. The destruction of these pigments during food preparation can be halted by controlling the temperature within the vegetable, for example by quick-chilling these in a bath full of quality ice. It is important to keep an eye on the size and the ice-to-water ratio of an ice bath. The vessel needs to be big enough to accommodate freely moving vegetables within the ice-cold water, to avoid dents and pressure points, which can cause brown spots.

The Texture
This is where the correct timings of both cooking and cooling come into play. Depending on the structure, size, colour, sweet and bitter agents, different vegetables require certain boiling or steaming times and temperatures. In an ideal situation, the texture is only affected by the cooking process to the point it is pleasantly chewable and digestible. Missing this point will cause the destruction of cell structures, and the outer layer of the vegetable will start breaking up, taking in too much water, and becoming unpleasantly soft.

The Nutritional Content
In most cases, the nutritional value of plant produce is highest, right after harvest and when it remains unmanipulated. However, some greens, such as beans require heat treatment for safe consumption. Recent research also shows that some bioactive compounds in vegetables can be unlocked and made bioavailable through thermal (steam) blanching. This is caused by the destruction of cell walls and tissue structures, as soon as the vegetable is exposed to heat.

Honestly, if you must possess one quality as a bartender, it is multitasking. Taking orders, preparing cocktails, drinks, processing payments, the list goes on. And that preferably all at once. When the bar gets hectic, as we know it does; keeping up with all the drinks and beers can be demanding . In fact, about 15% of all beer is wasted during the pouring process. This is where the BEERMATIC comes in. It guarantees not only the perfect serve, but it also saves you beer, time and money. Our product manager Alessandro explains.

First things first. This is why Alessandro, from our product planning team knows best.

Alessandro has been fascinated by automatic beer dispensers since he was a student in Japan. Although they were not rare at the time in Japan he was still impressed that “People are amazed by this robot serving the perfect beer… the ‘wow effect’ is still there as people watch and make videos while the beer is poured.” Alessandro has been working on the BeerMatic since its early days, when it was simply named ‘Draft Beer Dispenser’… “Thankfully the team came up with the name BeerMatic” says Alessandro; we’re glad too!

6 BEERMATIC secrets explained

Let this be clear: The goal of the BEERMATIC is not to replace the bartender with a machine. We know that a crafty bartender is irreplaceable!

“The BEERMATIC ensures consistently perfect beers while the bartender works on the other part of the order. This will mean a more efficient bar, and more complex drinks never need to be rushed again,” explains Alessandro.

But how exactly does the BEERMATIC help with that? We list the six advantages for you:

1. Consistently high quality
The beer-to-foam ratio can be adjusted to different types of beer or to to meet local preferences. An internal cooling system chills down the beer on its way from the keg through the machine, so that the draft beer can be served directly from ambient temperature kegs. This ensures a cooled and crisp beer every time.

2. It saves you seconds
Until the beer is poured, no additional attention is required. This opens time windows, for example, to process payments, prepare orders, or to clean up.
Tip: the BeerMatic takes just under 25 seconds to pour one pint (~584ml). When the bartender thinks he is almost done with the other drinks he can press the button to start the perfect pour!

3. Cost control
As mentioned before, portions can be controlled very accurately. Every single beer is accounted for as the number of beers poured is shown on the display, no more missing inventory! The internal refrigeration system allows you to save energy costs too as you don’t need to cool the kegs.

4. Clean workspace guaranteed
Accurate portioning avoids spillage entirely, no cutting/skimming needed. The dispenser’s compartmentalized design is engineered to avoid contamination and to simplify cleaning routines. With this system, you can maintain the highest standards of food safety, hygiene, and sanitization.

5. One machine fits all
The BEERMATIC is space-saving, it is designed to fit in any size bar. This compact design means that it can also be easily transported.

6. Flexibility
The dual tap allows you to connect two separate kegs with different types of beer simultaneously. Additionally, the automatic tilting unit is compatible with all common glass sizes.

“All you actually have to do is press the button and the machine will take care of the rest. The tilting of the glass and cooling of the beer are done automatically,” says Alessandro. The result: A perfect pint. So with one machine and only the touch of a button, you can solve many of the problems a bartender faces on a daily basis, without ever compromising on quality.

Hoshizaki, is delighted to once again be exhibiting at the prestigious Host Milano.

On a stand ‘Where cool becomes brilliant’ (Pavilion 2, Stand M45 N46), visitors will have the opportunity to get expert advice from a team of senior personnel from the EMEA region whilst discovering the latest product innovations.

This includes the PREMIER, ADVANCE and COMPACT series of new refrigeration models, a full range of ice machines creating flake, cube, crescent and ball ice, as well as Hoshizaki’s unique automatic beer dispenser.

A recognised sushi chef will also be on stand to demonstrate a tasty selection of sushi delicacies, utilising Hoshizaki’s rice maker, rice warmer and refrigerated sushi cases.

Please be our guest and try some of the cocktails on the stand as well.

Book your stand tickets here.