Looking for that perfect bar station for your new bar? How would you like to convert one of your existing bartender stations into a coffee bar during the morning hours? Traditional bartender stations are static – once installed, it’s game over. That is, until today. Again, Krowne continues to…ahem… raise the bar! With Krowne’s revolutionary new product, you can have total flexibility and I’m about to explain why you need this! In fact, their new product is the slickest, cleverest bar invention I’ve seen, and its origins began in 1994! My name is Rick Uzubell and I’m a professional bar designer. I’ve been in this professional practice since 2006 and have worked for some incredible clients. Many changes have occurred over time, and my top priority has always been to make prudent recommendations – a fiduciary of sorts.
The History of Predesigned Bar Stations
Over the years, many bar equipment manufacturers have attempted to take the thinking out of the complicated bar design process by marketing predesigned bar stations, packaged with common components, such as ice bins, garnish stations, speed racks, dump sinks, margarita rimmers, etc. The trouble with this concept is that it isn’t customizable. In fact, I never specify predesigned bar stations because they’ve never worked for me! Why? Because they lack the flexibility I need as a professional bar designer. What if I told you about a new product, called an adaptive bar station? Imagine, if you will, owning a bar station that provides the flexibility restaurant and bar owners long for: to be able to change their stations’ configurations on-the-fly – flexibility the industry has never seen! At last, there is such a product today, and I’m going to tell you all about it.
MoveWell – the Fully-Customizable Bar Station
As I’ve written previously, the goal of sound ergonomic bar design is to minimize the bartender’s universe, so the majority of the their movement is within a narrow zone comprised of these very components. Industry leader, Krowne, recently developed an alternative solution to the aforementioned predesigned bartender stations – a revolutionary flexible, customizable platform they call “MoveWell”, that includes interchangeable components known as “inserts”. As you’re about to learn, the engineering required to develop this ground-breaking product was something only Krowne could execute.
MoveWell – As Easy as 1-2-3!
Krowne’s MoveWell Adaptive Bar Station is the ONLY flexible product on the market: it’s customizable on-demand! MoveWell consists of a base unit with universal plumbing connections, complemented with an assortment of bar component “inserts” that the bartender can move and swap on-the-fly (refer to the above photos). The inserts are sold in various packages, depending on the user’s needs. Setting and re-positioning the inserts is as easy as 1-2-3:
- The bartender selects the desired bar station inserts.
- MoveWell features quick disconnect plumbing – no tools required!
- Each insert is effortlessly set onto the MoveWell internal rail system.
WITH MOVEWELL INSERTS IT’S LIFT, SLIDE AND SWAP!
To interchange inserts, simply lift the first unit, slide the second and drop the first into its new location! The MoveWell base unit has an integrated backsplash with “speed-swap” quick disconnect plumbing connections. Inserts are simply pushed into place with MoveWell’s built-in rail system. A centralized 1 3/8” drain facilitates efficient water drainage.
Here’s a question: How many unique combinations are achievable with 10 inserts? I’ll have the answer to this question later in this article.
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How Krowne Engineered the MoveWell Bar Station In-House
While MoveWell is a simple concept, the engineer in me knew there’s more to the story of its development. After all, the plumbing connections are uncommon among Krowne’s competitors – Glastender and Perlick. Because the components are on a common chassis with multiple quick-release plumbing connections, MoveWell is easy to modify on-the-fly, as illustrated in Figure 1, above. However, this product wouldn’t have even been possible without the vision of former co-owner, Roger Forman. Stay tuned!
The Story of MoveWell Began in 1994!
Granted, Krowne is a world-class manufacturer of bar equipment and draft beer systems, but as I said, MoveWell is an uncommon product to the industry. How did a bar equipment company develop such a product in-house? There’s a lot more to the story. Enter, Roger Forman. Krowne is a 75-year-old, third-generation family-owned company, currently under the direction of Roger’s son, Kyle and his business partner, Paul Bastante. According to Kyle, in 1994, while at the helm of the then-second-generation company, Roger recognized the opportunity of cross-selling related high-quality products to his customers. Having a passion for plumbing products, Roger added a plumbing division to the Krowne umbrella. Today, the Krowne plumbing lineup is robust, and includes a complete line of faucets, fittings, drains, pot fillers, etc. Krowne has substantial plumbing resources in-house – unparalleled by any of its competitors. Do you see where I’m going here?
MOVEWELL – A Bar Station That’s Game Changing!
I recognized an engineered product when I first saw the MoveWell Adaptive Bar Station. An engineered product, complete with movable, interchangeable components, teflon rails and quick-disconnect plumbing hardware that’s easy to use. While the development of MoveWell didn’t require quantum mechanics, to engineer a product so well developed requires substantial experience and attention to detail. MoveWell is complex, yet simple – it’s intuitive. When a product appears complex, but easy to use, I knew that it’s a winner straightaway. Without knowing Krowne’s history, I wouldn’t have understood how MoveWell segued from drawing board to Krowne’s bar equipment lineup. Now it all makes sense. In fact, Krowne is the only company in the bar equipment industry with the capabilities to develop a product such this entirely in-house.
Today, Kyle and Paul are taking their father’s dreams into the 3rd generation!
MoveWell is Truly Adaptive – With Interchangeable Components!
With MoveWell, Krowne has ingeniously engineered the industry’s only flexible bar station. MoveWell is a 48” x 24” platform that works with a plethora of combinations of 10 specially-designed inserts that can be placed in virtually any arrangement – within minutes – ANY time of day! As shown in Figure 2 (above), anyone familiar with bar equipment will immediately recognize the functionality of each component.
DESIGN YOUR OWN MOVEWELL WITH THESE INSERTS
- 12" ice bin
- 12" 3-tiered speed rack
- 12" wash down dump sink
- 12" perforated drainboard
- 12" condiment tray
- 12" cutting board / trash station
- 12" tool caddy
- 6" margarita rimmer
- 6" spray jet dump sink
- 6" condiment sink
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- FIGURE 3. MOVEWELL BAR STATION AS A COFFEE BAR
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- FIGURE 4. MOVEWELL AS A THIRD BARTENDER STATION
For Hotels, MoveWell Is Your Coffee Bar in the AM and Cocktail Bar in the PM!
Nowadays, many in the hospitality industry desire adaptive functionality for their bars. As I mentioned earlier, traditional bar equipment cannot provide this, because traditional equipment is static. However, with MoveWell, you have TOTAL freedom! You decide when to change its configuration, whenever you desire – and in minutes! Now that’s what I call “Adaptive”! In my own design practice, I’ve experienced a trend with hotel clients, who nowadays want their lobby bars to double as coffee bars in the morning. This is the perfect application for MoveWell. The MoveWell adaptive bar station can be quickly converted to serve as a coffee bar – on demand! For example, I set up the third bartending station with MoveWell in the island bar shown in Figures 3 and 4 (above) for both conditions. But wait – it gets better! MoveWell also offers two low-profile, pull-out refrigerated drawers, as shown Figure 5, below!
MoveWell – the Perfect Solution for Left-Handed Bartenders!
Let’s face it: the world is designed for right-handers, and this is also true with bar stations. Unless special provisions are made during planning, bartender stations are traditionally designed for right-handed bartenders. Fortunately, with MoveWell, the insert modules are easily reversible – a truly adaptive bar station! You’ll notice in Figures 3 and 4 (above) that I designed the bartender station with a soda gun on the left (the standard method) and the right (for left-handed bartenders). In fact, this is how I design bars with MoveWell bar stations – adding a second soda gun only requires an additional four inches.
THE MOVEWELL BAR STATION EPITOMIZES FLEXIBLE DESIGN!
We aren’t using soda guns for many of the bars we’re designing nowadays for fine dining applications. This is due to the emerging popularity of non-soda mixers. Whether you prefer soda guns or not, the MoveWell bar station itself can be adjusted on-the-fly – no matter how you wish to operate it. Truly flexible design!
How Many MoveWell Bar Stations Do I Need?
Some of my clients want the ultimate flexibility of having MoveWell stations throughout their bars, but you don’t have to be all-in. As illustrated in Figure 6 (which features two standard bartender stations and one MoveWell), some clients require the functionality of MoveWell for only one bartender.
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- FIGURE 7. GLASTENDER’S ALL-IN-ONE COCKTAIL STATION HAS A FIXED CONFIGURATION
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- FIGURE 8. KROWNE’S MOVEWELL IS THE ONLY INTERACTIVE BAR STATION
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- FIGURE 9. PERLICK’S TOBIN ELLIS COCKTAIL STATION HAS A FIXED CONFIGURATION
How Does the MoveWell Bar station Compare vs Glastender’s and Perlick’s Cocktail Stations?
For those unaware, there are three primary manufacturers of bar equipment in the U.S. – Glastender, Krowne and Perlick. Truly, there’s no comparison between Krowne’s MoveWell and similar products offered by its competitors. Let’s review how all compare (ref. to Figures 7-9, above):
- Glastender’s “All-In-One Cocktail Station” is static – it’s configuration is fixed.
- Perlick’s “Tobin Ellis Cocktail Station” is not only static, but bulbous – at a depth of 27 9/16″; since standard bar equipment is 24″ deep, why would anyone desire a cocktail station that compromises the bartender aisle by nearly 4″?!
- Given its multitude of configurations and interchangeable bar equipment inserts, MoveWell is easily converted on-demand from liquor cocktail station to coffee bar any time of day! PLUS, it’s available with two pull-out refrigerated drawers. MoveWell gives bartenders TOTAL CONTROL, 24×7!
MoveWell is at Least 140 Times Better Than its Competitors!
Now let’s have a little bit of fun. I had a great time in engineering school my senior year when I took a couple of courses in statistics and probability. In statistics, the term “combinations” refers to the number of ways to select a subset of objects where order does not matter. I had an immediate flashback to those courses when I first became acquainted with MoveWell and its numerous accessories. I wanted to know just how many combinations my clients would enjoy with their new MoveWell bar stations.
MOVEWELL OFFERS NEARLY LIMITLESS CONFIGURATIONS
By now you probably realize that the MoveWell adaptive bar station has many potential combinations. After all, with 10 unique inserts, two width sizes and a 48” wide platform, there’s a TON of ways to assemble it. For instance, it can utilize various combinations of four (12″) inserts or five (three 12″ inserts and two 6″ inserts). Realizing that there are many permutations, I performed several calculations, and derived that MoveWell can be created in 140 unique combinations (please refer to my downloadable configuration sheets). Because the Glastender and Perlick cocktail stations have only one configuration, one could say that MoveWell is 140 times better than its competition!
CALCULATION OVERVIEW
Results of the three individual downloadable computation sheets are downloadable, below. Group A yields a total of 35 unique combinations. Groups B and C are mutually-dependent events, and therefore, each of the 35 events in Group B must be combined with each of the 3 events of Group C, which yields a total of 105 combinations. Therefore, the total quantity of unique combinations is 140 (35+105).
DOWNLOADABLES
A. 7 objects taken 4 at a time
MY TAKEAWAY ON MOVEWELL
MoveWell is an incredibly well-engineered product. Traditional predesigned cocktail stations provide neither flexibility nor adaptability. However, Krowne’s MoveWell is the only bar station on the market that provides bartenders flexibility and customization on-demand, 24×7. I give MoveWell a 5-star rating, and recommend it to anyone – especially to those in the hospitality industry who want the flexibility to operate their bar stations as a coffee bar and a cocktail station. MoveWell is the only bar station I’ll specify!
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