Bar Design Cost Guide for Professional Services

Bar design cost guide for professional services

If you’re a hotel, restaurant or sports bar owner, learn the insider secrets of how much bar design, consulting, bar equipment design and luxury bar design costs, then this bar design cost guide is for you!

HOW MUCH IS MY BAR DESIGN REALLY GOING TO COST?

Today we’re going to answer the question: “How much is my bar design really going to cost?” There are many factors that differentiate the cost to design any given bar, which is why I created this bar design cost guide. My goal in this post is to explain our general pricing guidelines for professional bar design.

FEATURES THAT AFFECT DESIGN COST

Often times, commercial bar design encompasses many subtle and complex features that many may not notice or even understand. There are many factors that affect the cost of bar design. Here are the top three things we need to know to get started:

  • What will be the shape of your new bar? Will the bar be L-shaped, rectangular, oval, curved or circular?
  • Will your new bar be a free-standing island bar? Or will it be installed against a wall?
  • Will the new bar have a draft beer system?

At this point, we’re just beginning to scratch the surface. Actually, there are many features our clients request for their new bars. They all impact the price of our bar design service.

Note: pricing and services are subject to change without notice.

Top 7 factors that affect the cost of bar design
TOP 7 FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE COST OF BAR DESIGN

WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES DO YOU OFFER AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?

This bar design cost guide covers are four types of bar design services:

  • Bar consulting
  • Bar equipment design
  • Standard bar design
  • Luxury bar design

Bar Consulting

Having trouble with your bar design? Most people are afraid of making a costly mistake. Set your fears aside and talk directly with an industry-leading bar design expert! For as little as $49, you might be able to avoid a very costly mistake. With thousands of hours of professional bar design experience, Rick Uzubell can help you solve the most common bar design issues: If you need assistance with planning a new bar, here are some of the consulting services we offer:

  • Create budget for a new bar.
  • Basic bar layout.
  • Help you complete your unfinished bar plan.
  • Create a dining seating plan.
  • The best shape for your bar.

 

Our bar consulting service is geared for the DIYer and those who are seeking preliminary information for purchasing or starting a bar or restaurant/bar.

Pricing for our Bar Consulting service ranges from $250 – $1,500. 

Bar Equipment Design

This service is geared for the do-it-yourself crowd. They want to finish their bar but need expertise. We can complete the 2D or 3D aspect of their bar layout, from the bar top-down.

For instance, some are merely stuck on the bar equipment itself. With this service, we simply provide a basic bar equipment plan and equipment schedule. Our standard deliverable is a scaled architectural plan in PDF.

 

OPTIONAL SERVICES

We can also provide you with the following optional services:

  • Fine-tune your bar layout with recommendations for POS equipment and draft beer tower locations. 
    Pricing ranges from $200 – $300
  • Create plans for construction of bar base and bar tops.
    Pricing ranges from $500 – $750
  •  Provide details for one (1) built-in ADA accommodation.
    Pricing ranges from $200 – $300

 

PRICING

Base Price: $1,500 for a standard 2-station bar
NOTE: Pricing normally ranges up to $2,500, but could be greater, depending on selected options (SEE LUXURY BAR DESIGN FOR OPTIONS).

Bar equipment design services by Cabaret Design Group
EXAMPLES OF BAR EQUIPMENT DESIGN SERVICES

Standard Bar Design

Our Standard Bar Design service offers a fully-engineered bar plan and is geared for smaller venues looking for a value solution.

We’ll create a concept for a 2-station bar and include the following:

  • Develop a set of plans for construction, including section views, elevations and details.
  • Include details for the construction of one (1) built-in ADA accommodation.
  • Develop bar façade.
  • Foot rail design.
  • Simple back bar plan with TV equipment recommendations and locations.
  • Bar top plan (see image, right).
  • Framing plan (for stick-built bars).
  • Equipment plan.
  • POS station locations.
  • Equipment schedule and manufacturer’s cut sheets.

 

PRICING:

Base Price: $3,300
NOTE: these bars are designed from templates; most of our standard bar designs range from $3,700 – $5,700; island bars and other options are available for an additional charge and are listed in the ‘Luxury Bar Service’ section.

 

Bar with custom draft beer towers
CUSTOM INVERTED DRAFT BEER TOWERS
EXAMPLE OF BAR DETAILS WITH STD. BAR DESIGN

Solicitation Services

This service is for those who don’t want the headaches associated with managing complex purchasing. Most of our clients find this service to be invaluable (NOTE: we don’t get involved with sourcing used bar equipment). With this service:

  • Solicit many of the items we specify for pricing.
  • Review the quotes and submit to the Owner. This is a complex task that includes comparing the quotes to our plans.
  • Review shop drawings and provide delivery information.
  • Manage all communication with the selling entities. This invariably includes clarifications and corrections.
  • The simple fact is many Owners don’t understand all the various forms of equipment, much less know where to purchase. Furthermore, they lack the related knowledge required to interpret complex information.
  • Included is bar equipment, specialty fabrications, draft beer systems (and related hardware), ice machines, walk-in coolers and various bar finishes.

 

How Much do Solicitation Services Cost?

With our solicitation service, our clients can focus their attention to that which they know best. They can use their time to manage their own businesses. The cost for this service varies. We offer this service as a lump sum bid or a percentage of the purchased items. Pricing averages 1-2% of the related equipment cost. For smaller projects, this service begins at $500.

 

Luxury Bars

If you own a casino, hotel or luxury restaurant and desire a luxurious, unique bar, we can certainly fulfill your needs. Our luxury bar designs are geared for larger, more exclusive venues.

Bar design and bar planning at Four Points by Sheraton
ELLIPTICAL-SHAPED ISLAND BAR AND ISLAND BACK BAR

The bar shown above has a host of luxury features, all designed in-house:

  • The front bar utilizes the modular bar die, which was modified with a custom wainscot to match the shape of the elliptical bar top.
  • The wainscot contains a series of equal-length, removable, curved panels.
  • A 12′ high steel structure (with a laminated finish) for the island back bar, which wraps around-and-above the back bar coolers.
  • Top that off with four sets of annealed, lockable bent glass doors… a true “One-off” for the discerning client.

We’d love to design a unique luxurious “One-off” bar for you!

HOTEL BAR
Photo of luxury destination bar
DESTINATION BAR
RESTAURANT BAR

We also offer a most unique design for those who desire an exceptional bar. Our luxury bar designs are “One-offs” and are differentiated by size, detail and finish. They commonly include many of the following features that are optional with our standard bar design:

LUXURY BAR SERVICES

  1. Draft beer system design (see photo, below left)
    Pricing ranges from $1,000 – $1,500 
  2. Island bar upgrade (for curved and radius design see below)
    Pricing ranges from $1,000 – $3,500
  3. Custom back bar design from iron, architectural metal or architectural glass (see photo below right)
    Pricing ranges from $1,000 – $7,500
  4. Custom perimeter soffits (see photo, above left)
    Pricing ranges from $1,000 – $3,500
Custom draft beer system design
DRAFT BEER SYSTEM DESIGN
Upgraded iron back bar with backlit shelving
CUSTOM BACK BAR DESIGN

MORE LUXURY BAR SERVICES

  1. Custom soffits for built-in TV’s (typical detail for Starwood Hotels per photo above, left)
    Pricing ranges from $1,000 – $3,000
  2. Modular bar die (in lieu of stick-built bar base) with removable panel schedule.
    Pricing ranges from $800 – $1,500
  3. Curved, oval and circular bars.
    Base pricing ranges from $5,000 – $25,000
  4. Custom POS station cabinet design (see photo below, left)
    Pricing ranges from $300 – $600 
  5. Backlit bar tops (see photo below, center).
    Pricing ranges from $500 – $1,000
Custom forward-facing POS cabinets for bars
CUSTOM POS CABINET DESIGN
Optional backlit bar tops
BACKLIT BAR TOP DESIGN
Optional bar top mechanical lift assist
MECHANICAL BAR TOP LIFT ASSIST

ADDITIONAL LUXURY BAR SERVICES

  1. Built-in USB phone chargers.
    Pricing ranges from $300 – $600
  2. Counterbalanced bar gate lift assist (see photo above, right)
    Pricing ranges from $300 – $600
  3. Built-in soda systems.
    Pricing ranges from $1,000 – $1,500
  4. Roll-up secured liquor cages.
    Pricing ranges from $1,500 – $2,500
  5. Draft beer walls.
    Pricing ranges from $2,500 – $4,500
  6. Seating layouts (see example below).
    Pricing ranges from $500 – $1,000

 

PRICING:


Base Price: $4,000
NOTE: pricing for our Luxury Bar Design service typically ranges from $5,500 – $14,000, but could be greater, depending on options and complexity. The price for curved / radius bar design can be 2X – 4X this cost, depending on complexity.

Island bar plan with seating layout
EXAMPLE OF ISLAND BAR PLAN WITH SEATING LAYOUT

In addition to this bar design cost guide, I’ve written many other articles regarding the start-up costs for opening a bar or restaurant. Please check-out the articles below that cover bar equipment cost, bar construction costs, draft beer systems, etc.

 

DISCLAIMER: The above video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

Need Help with your bar plans?

Designing a bar can be time-consuming and frustrating. Contact us today for your free consultation!
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RICK UZUBELL

President of Cabaret Design Group, Rick holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and is a F&B consultant and well-known bar design expert with years of experience serving hotels, restaurants, sports bars and destination bars. He has developed a command of bar design solutions involving ergonomics, equipment, systems and finishes that bridges the "Gray Zone" between interior designers and architects. He's also a champion of ADA design in commercial bar applications. Through his unique architectural engineering approach he calls "Integrated Bar Design," Rick solves complex bar design challenges beyond the expertise of typical design professionals. His proudest achievements include curved bar design solutions using the modular bar die system and steel as a core design element. As a commercial bar design specialist, Rick has cutting-edge knowledge of draft beer systems, liquor systems, keg room design and batch cocktail systems. He will add significant value to any commercial bar design project. Rick is a proud member of the F&B consortium known as the "Magnificent 7".
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