Interior design report

Opulence and eclecticism will continue to be dominant in bar interiors in 2010, as will the need to make budgets stretch, reports Mark Ludmon

While 2009 saw many new bars and clubs launched, it was marked by many operators seeking to create impact through smaller-scale refurbishments, according to Steve Howie of Howie Design. After working on about 220 bars and clubs over the past 20 years, he says that, more than ever, clients expect “more bang for their buck”. “Big companies are spending a 10th of the budget they would normally have spent on a refurbishment,” he says, predicting that this will continue into 2010.

His latest project, finished just before Christmas, was a revamp of the eight-year-old Shadow Lounge, a basement gay club in the heart of Soho, for Novus Leisure. The redesign includes details such as gold paint, pink-buttoned bench seating and bespoke gold-finished chandeliers adorned with little pink grapes, creating a “sparkling flamboyant interior that is in your face,” Howie says. “For a low spend, people can’t believe we did this for the budget we did.” This also ties in with the continuing move away from minimalist interiors towards opulence and decadence, he believes, “places that you want to go to because they feel comfortable and are somewhere to spend time with friends”.

Mike Sinclair, a director of design company Macaulay Sinclair, points to Soho House Group with its “home away from home” signature style of venues such as Shoreditch House. “I think we’ll see a greater move toward warm, welcoming homely environments contrasted with flashes of vibrant colour,” he explains.

The white Swedish timber format of the first-floor bar at Tom’s Kitchen in Chelsea, London, was revamped at the end of last year to create a more sumptuous interior by design company Concorde BGW. Director Guy Bostock says the updated look included a warmer, more punchy colour palette, such as a “deep rich soulful blue”, complementing the use of white marble, plus Chesterfield-style fixed seating and “deep luxurious” armchairs using Andrew Martin fabrics. “We wanted to warm up the room and bring a sumptuous soft feeling into the bar area,” Bostock adds.

Eclecticism shows no sign of diminishing, with last year’s London openings dominated by the eclectic mix of contemporary and vintage at venues such as the London Cocktail Club and Dtwo Design’s Callooh Callay and Opera Quarter Bar. “I think there’s a continued focus on the soulful and the nostalgic,” comments John Macaulay of Macaulay Sinclair. “I think more and more we’re going to see vintage, restained pieces used out of context, familiar pieces used in unfamiliar ways.”

According to furniture and interiors designer Andy Thornton, design trends going into 2010 are “even more eclectic than previously, with lots of blending of contemporary and traditional”. This is reflected in some of the company’s own collections, such as its new traditional button-back leather sofa with a modern twist. Its new Lina side chairs are in antiquated brown leather with a classic button back but have an “unmistakably modern shape… embodying the current eclectic design trend of combining many different styles”.

Harvey Ockrim, managing director of furniture specialist Satelliet-Browns, predicts that “chic boutique” is the look we will see more of. “That means big bulbous tables and a lot of very unusual and shiny fabrics,” he explains. “Even a number of the big chains are going for expensive fabrics. Our clients are moving away from furniture that looks ordinary or as though it has just come out of a carton marked ‘bar furniture’. They either want it to look new and exciting or to introduce a new twist to timeless classic designs.”

He cites Satelliet-Browns’ recent project for Monkberry’s bar and brasserie in Bournemouth, which has a stylish modern all-white interior. “They’ve got huge Chesterfields but, because they are in white, they look really modern and totally different. That’s the effect a lot of people want to create: modern but classic.”

As operators move towards combining the modern with the classic, products such as Charles Stone’s man-made stone materials are providing an opportunity for operators to use the look of traditional materials such as lace, silk and wood in a way that was previously not possible. “The tiles are ideal for bars because they offer unusual finishes but have the durability of stone,” explains Mark Johnston of Charles Stone.

The past year has seen a number of operators using recycled, restyled and second-hand furniture bought at auction or from antique shops. While these create an interesting interior, there are risks involved, warns Carrie Webb, creative director of Paperspace Design. Most importantly, the furniture and finishes must comply with regulations such as fire safety and be suitable for a busy bar. “Be realistic: is the piece tough enough for a bar environment? Is it structurally sound? Is the fabric durable and stain-resistant? Don’t underestimate how much abuse furniture and fittings will get.”

But she also points out that bar owners need to keep a design concept in mind rather than just picking up second-hand pieces they like. “Decide on a style or theme for your bar. Do your research and be clear about what look you are trying to achieve. Don’t just buy a mish-mash of different styles and colours without considering how they’ll look together.”

Bar design continues to be influenced from overseas, with Moroccan and Eastern concepts particularly prevalent. The Noble House in Liverpool was inspired by the trend for speakeasy-style bars in Manhattan, such as PDT and Apothèke, where the entrance is hard to find or hidden, and Sinclair of Macaulay Sinclair believes the New York influence will continue in 2010. He also predicts that venues with Mexican food and drink will be the big winner this year. “Margaritas, tequila and ice-cold Mexican beers could be really successful.”

With Novus Leisure, Nick House and Piers Adam launching Kanaloa in London at the end of last year, Polynesian-themed venues are set to continue thriving in 2010, with Novus considering roll-out of the concept to other sites. Design and theming specialist Cheeky Tiki, which worked on Kanaloa, is also working on a second Kukui after the success of the first in Oxford last year. Cheeky Tiki director Jamie Wilson says: “It’s definitely a style that people are showing a lot of interest in. Everyone has an ideal of paradise that typically involves islands and palm trees. Tiki is about escapism. A lot of bars became very serious for a while but this is about a happy night out and having fun again.”

Many of the bars that opened last year reflected the need to make the most of every hour of the day, combining a bar, club, restaurant and café under one roof. Howie at Howie Design predicts that these multi-functional venues will be a key area of growth in 2010, such as The River Rooms in Rotherhithe, London, which he is working on. “We will see a resurgence of these dinner and dance clubs,” he says. “People don’t want to go out and spend money at a restaurant and then go to a club and spend money again. They want to go to a venue where they have it all.”

Case study: Chinawhite

When London club Chinawhite was forced to relocate a year ago from Soho after a decade, it felt like the end of an era. But when it reopened in Fitzrovia, its owners had taken an opportunity to create a new venue that was more up to date. “Our thinking behind the club is, what is relevant now?” explains co-founder and managing director Jeremy Hartley.

“As we rise from economic uncertainty, do people really want to leave their houses at 10pm and go to clubs that are nothing more than celebrity platforms. We believe this is an out-dated concept. When you walk through our doors, you are taken care of in a very bespoke and service-led way – a space to eat beautiful food, a space to dance and most importantly a space to spend time with friends.”

The venue, which includes the Temple Bar, was designed by Satmoko Bell working with Phelan Construction and architects Tibbatts Kirk Abel. It was inspired by London’s earliest clubs dating back to the 1920s that “entertained outsiders and misfits” but has a “modern-day Oriental opulence”.

It features Chinese hand-painted wallpaper, Balinese carved friezes, luxurious Missoni cushions and a glass bar. Victorian Woodworks provided ipê hardwood for floor, seating, boxings, clad column and main staircase for the bar, with a Russian oak stab floor for the restaurant and VIP area.

Picture: Richard Southall

January 2010

Staffing report:
Just the job

Mark Ludmon looks at the challenges of recruiting, retaining and motivating staff in the bar sector

A high rate of staff turnover is one of the biggest challenges in the bar trade. The British Hospitality Association has reported that churn levels across the hospitality industry are at nearly 50 per cent – higher than nearly any other sector. The hospitality skills council, People 1^st, has been investigating ways to tackle this after predicting that staff turnover will have cost the industry £6.2billion in the five years to 2012, meaning employers will have lost a total of 4.1million people.

In the hospitality industry, employers rely on the incentive of a good tip from customers to motivate staff – although tipping bartenders is still restricted chiefly to higher-end city-centre venues. But cash is not enough to encourage employees to change their behaviours, points out Steve Baker, sales and marketing director of Projectlink Motivation, one of a number of companies specialising in helping companies improve performance. “Tips are a reflection of how staff have looked after customers, particularly where they are serving tables, but there’s a tremendous amount more that bar operators can do, particularly in the areas of cross-selling or upselling which is something that barstaff still don’t tend to do.”

Retaining good staff and improving their performance depends on how “engaged” they feel with their employer, explains Derrick Hardman, managing director of another specialist company, Capital Incentives & Motivation. “Bars whose staff are not fully engaged are not only failing to maximise their daily performance, but are also likely to suffer from poor morale, disruption and an extra lay-out of funds by the organisation as a result of absenteeism and staff turnover,” he says. “In turn, there is an impact on sales and customer service as well as teamwork within the outlet. Bar operators clearly need to take action to improve morale and motivation levels among their staff to address these issues, but simply offering a higher hourly rate is not the solution.”

Motivation programmes are now common at larger organisations, points out Andrew Johnson, chief executive of the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association whose members supply products for incentives. “Where staff retention and motivation programmes are probably in place are just the big chains as opposed to the thousands of independent bar and pub operators.”

For instance, Punch Group has well-established schemes for both its lessees and staff in its managed houses, which tap into solutions provided by another incentive group Grass Roots. It includes the Proud reward and recognition scheme which is linked to Punch’s corporate values and allows managers to reward employees for “living the values”. Grass Roots’ head of commercial operations, Francis Goss, says that, while his company works with major operators such as De Vere and Marriott, incentives can help businesses of all sizes. “There’s a lot of evidence that incentives will drive behaviour, really benefit service improvement and encourage upselling which is what everyone in the industry needs at the moment.”

Incentive schemes need to be kept simple, says Kuljit Kaur, head of business development at The Voucher Shop, which supplies vouchers for incentives. “Bar staff generally have to manage a number of responsibilities during their daily role so any incentive needs to stand out and create the desired buzz and reaction,” she explains. “It’s important that the incentive is simple to understand and that the objectives set are within reach of the staff being included within the scheme.”

While a large operator like Punch may have corporate values to measure against, the simplest objectives are those linked to sales. “A lot of establishments have log-ins for every member of staff so you can record what business they are putting through the tills,” says Baker at Projectlink. “This can be analysed at the end of a particular period against historical data of what someone normally sells. You could reward staff who encourage customers to take more expensive options.”

While short-term tactical incentives can improve performance, longer-term schemes can support retention, he adds. “If people are being recognised for doing a good job, they feel more valued. If you have something at the end of the year, staff will stay on if they think they have a good chance of being rewarded. Some may subsequently leave in January but that is of course a quieter period for bars than the run-up to Christmas.”

Offering training and voluntary benefits, such as discount vouchers, also helps to make staff feel valued, notes Martin Cooper, sales and marketing manager of incentives company Love2reward. This could be tied into a retention mechanism where staff qualify for a benefits scheme only after they have completed a probation period, he says. Even traditional service awards could be adapted for the bar sector, with staff receiving vouchers after only a year. “How long you award service for can be whatever is appropriate for your industry. It may not be hundreds of pounds but it’s also a springboard for communication.”

A programme was created by incentive company Michael C Fina for Compass Group, whose contract businesses include bar and café operator Restaurant Associates. Staff receive service awards after just one year and rewards for going “above and beyond” within the company’s core values. “They are making people feel valued from day one, and it has done tremendously well, and staff turnover has dropped considerably,” says Michael C Fina director Sheila Sheldon. “It is the fact that they are making them feel wanted and part of an organisation rather than feeling that nobody gives a damn what they are doing.”

Another benefit of rewarding staff is improved customer service, says Raegan Matthews, business incentives manager at House of Fraser, which supplies its vouchers for rewards. “As a general rule, well-motivated personnel provide better levels of customer service and are more likely to stay with a company, growing in experience and becoming even more valuable.”

Employees can also be rewarded for good feedback from customers or mystery shoppers, adds Goss at Grass Roots. A reward could be given to a bartender on the spot or the manager can be informed later, triggering a reward for individuals or the whole team.

There are many companies specialising in providing staff rewards. For days out and experiences, leading suppliers include Treatme.net, Red Letter Days, Smartbox, Marriott Individual Incentives, eXhilaration, Virgin Voucher and Leisure Vouchers. Cinema vouchers are available from companies such as Filmology while Theatre Tokens are ideal for a group night-out at a show anywhere in the UK. Marston’s Inns & Taverns rewards staff with Virgin Experience Days vouchers for completing staff development training, such as £250 for those who become assistant manager.

According to data from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association, nearly 50 per cent of the £3billion spent each year on gift cards and vouchers is for incentives. These may be single-store cards and vouchers, such as New Look, House of Fraser, Sainsbury’s and Debenhams, or vouchers with a choice of retailers such as Love2reward, Bonusbond and SayShopping. Employers are also increasingly using prepaid cards which can be uploaded with money for ongoing rewards, useable at shops on the Visa or MasterCard networks. Cards include Spree from motivation company P&MM, Compliments from Capital Incentives & Motivation and Pure from Grass Roots.

Online schemes, such as those from Corporate Rewards, offer employers a chance to reward staff regularly with points that can be redeemed online. Goss at Grass Roots, where all incentive schemes now have an element of online, adds that, while bar staff may have access to a PC at work or home, schemes need to be supported with information on flyers, posters or payslips. “There is also SMS technology so they can receive communications by text wherever they are.”

Kaur at The Voucher Shop adds that communications should be frequent to maintain awareness and keep the incentive fresh. “It is vital to use communication mechanisms that are relevant to the audience, for example, reminders placed near the till or on the back of the bar near promoted products, rather than email which won’t be read while service is busy. And ensure messages are concise and can be digested quickly and easily as it would be unrealistic to expect bar staff to wade through masses of information during a hectic shift.”

Recruitment

What started nearly 10 years ago as a community website for travellers arriving in London has become the number-one place to recruit staff. However, bar operators can do more than just use Gumtree.com, says Victoria Searl, operations consultant at Ignite Hospitality. As well as an advert in the front window, bars can use Facebook and Twitter as a free recruitment resource, she suggests. “Candidates will have already engaged with your brand and are likely to understand it and like its attributes.”

When opening a new bar, a recruitment day is effective, she adds, and it is always important to have planned a structure for interviews. “It’s vital to know exactly what you’re looking for so you don’t waste time with candidates who aren’t right for the job or your brand,” Searl says. “Ask yourself which skills or personality traits would complement your existing team. Are you looking for someone transient or someone you can nurture and develop?”

A more targeted web resource for recruitment is the social networking site BarExchange.com, launched in May, which includes not only training and drinks information resources but also a facility for recruitment. Managers and owners can choose people from a screen of candidates, looking at their experience and qualification and even videos, but they only have to pay a fee if a candidate accepts their invitation to attend an interview. “It reduces costs and allows them to be more selective,” says managing director Simon Blezard. “It is far more effective than something like Gumtree where you are inundated with CVs.”

Bar consultancy Squeeze has launched a microsite, JobZone, as an alternative to Gumtree, accessible via www.squeezeuk.com. Bar staff fill in a basic form on the site stating their experience and the ideal position wanted and submit their CV before being able to see the contact details for jobs that fit their criteria.

Epos report:
Point of order

Innovations in epos systems provide opportunities for improving operations and customer service

From fingerprint recognition to contactless payments, the technology at point of sale continues to evolve. Having the right epos system in place means bar staff can deliver better service and make it more likely that customers will come back, points out El –Azar Levy, managing director of AccuPOS.

His company’s software is delivered through a touch screen, where staff can assign seats to items on a customised floor plan, and communication between front of house and the kitchen means food can be served as soon as it is ready. It can automatically alert serving staff when the kitchen runs out of specials, allowing managers to enter new products and stock values at the touch of a button.

Levy highlights its compatibility with accounting programmes such as Quickbook and Sage 50, which simplifies the accounting process and removes the need to re-enter data. “In any business, you have so much to do and not enough time to do it, so this reduces time on book-keeping and allows you to concentrate on growing your business.”

Epos systems are vital for bar operators that expand and can no longer keep an eye on day-to-day operations at each venue, points out Malcolm Mailer, director of PXTech, whose systems can monitor performance, costs, staff productivity and fraud. “You can proactively gather data directly from the tills and bring it back to our server in real time to see what is going on in different locations,” he says. “For a single-unit owner, the remote data acquisition is not that important, but we find that a lot of them hope to become multi-unit owners so it is a good investment for them to put systems in place from day one.”

Mailer adds that PXTech alerts bar operators to any anomalies, using different key performance indicators for each site. PXTech’s PXportal management information tool provides live sales and productivity data online for any outlet, providing data such as what products have been sold and how a promotion is performing as well as live CCTV footage.

Torex, which works with operators such as Young’s, Marston’s and Mitchells & Butlers, has completed implementation of its POS solution across 356 PizzaExpress sites after a five-month pilot found that it reduced customer waiting time and administration and achieved greater accuracy in stock accounting, resulting in reduced wastage. The automated Torex solution means that orders can now be sent directly to kitchen and bar printers, reducing customer waiting time and improving the accuracy of the orders taken. Also, head office receives more timely stock and cash information by receiving data updates every 15 minutes. John Sullivan, director for group IT at the restaurants’ owner Gondola Group, says: “Our previous POS system and out-of-date processes meant we were spending too much time on admin, which limited the time they could spend with customers.”

At last month’s Restaurant Show, Call-Systems Technology demonstrated a new product that improves communications throughout a venue, the ConnectSmart Hospitality Automation Solution from QSR Automations. It links front and back of house, with food orders entered on the epos terminal being flashed up on screens in the kitchen, with information going back to front of house when food is ready.

Other innovations include Star Micronics’ enhancements of its TSP100 futurePRNT, providing printing solutions for epos systems. It allows users to redesign receipts by modifying fonts or inserting logos and also to automatically add word-triggered coupons based on pre-decided products or purchase values relevant to a specific transaction. For instance, if a customer buys a particular food dish, the printer can automatically produce a coupon offering a deal on a drink.

Bar operators are increasingly using epos for more than just cash transactions, points out Phillippa Bowman, spokesperson for epos specialist TISSL. “A loyalty database module helps to reward clients and enhance their service experience. Using email or text to inform them of events and promotions can have a positive effect on sales and profits.” She adds that the growing trend for fingerprint log-in is the “ultimate tool in increasing accountability”. “Sophisticated enterprise systems can take security a step further with text message alerts being sent to the area manager in case of unusual activity on the system.”

New from Partner Tech UK is the handheld OT-100 touchscreen wireless ordering terminal for mobile order taking, replacing the need for a notepad and pen. Food and drink orders are instantaneously transmitted to the bar or kitchen, allowing staff to stay front of house. When items are ready, a vibrating and visual alert is sent to the handheld terminal of the relevant member of staff.

The OT-100 is powerful enough to support most epos software functionalities, reducing the need for static tills around the bar and reducing the need for trips back and forth. “Automating the table-service ordering process drastically speeds up the service, eliminates errors and vastly improves the overall customer service,” says Partner Tech UK managing director Tim Van den Branden.

Partner Tech UK also offers a cashless payment application, which uses a prepaid RFID card that can be used for payment at any of the bar tills or the OT-100 with its optional RFID reader. In the future, epos will evolve further as prepaid cards and mobile phone SIM cards take the place of traditional payment methods. Research by payment solutions company RBS WorldPay found that 42 per cent of people would rather pay using cards instead of cash, while 39 per cent expect to use only one piece of technology for all payment transactions in the future.

“Contactless technology, which allows you to ‘tap and go’ for up to the value of £10 with the simple wave of a card, is being displayed by a number of retailers in the convenience and fast-food sectors,” points out Matt Rowsell, head of business development at RBS WorldPay. “There are signs that it could be very popular within the licensed sector, but it will probably not be widely used until a portable contactless terminal is available, which is likely to be next year.”

RBS WorldPay found nearly two-thirds of consumers expect to use their phones for payment in the next five years, and already some bars offer mobile phone top-up through their card payment terminals. “This could be a step towards the use of mobile phones as payment devices in the future,” Rowsell says.

Student unions

Managers of bars at the University of Hertfordshire Students Union (UHSU) wanted real-time information rather than end-of-month profit-and-loss accounts that would allow them to see which products were selling and where and to take advantage of trends in customer purchasing.

"In a fast-moving operation like ours, knowing who's busy and who has the best spend per head is critically important," says UHSU commercial director Max Ross. "Most university retailers make decisions based on history but we prefer to make decisions based on what is happening now, not what was happening a month ago."

They installed MCR Symphony (pictured above), allowing Ross and his team to monitor performance online through the Symphony Digital Dashboard and use his computer to make adjustments to the retail offer in response to sales. It also offers a “blind” cash-up, so that staff do not know how much should be in the till and be able to manipulate the figures to cover errors.

UHSU has also become the UK's first user of the latest addition to MCR's Symphony suite of products, Symphony Stock, described as the "ultimate way of managing the Ps of planning, purchasing, portioning, pilferage and profit". David Naylor of MCR says: "Symphony Stock gives users complete control over GP. It allows for the authorisation and tracking of purchases, and it gives managers an instant view of stock that is held, by both quantity and value, allowing them to take a proactive hold of the business." Ross at UHSU adds: "It broadens the capabilities of Symphony to take in not just what is sold but what is not sold, and that's a combination that will allow us to take a firmer hold of the business and to drive it forward positively, without even having to be on site."

The University of Manchester Students Union chose KCPOS hospitality software from HBP Systems for its four bars, integrating with 33 existing tills and eight new ones. It was also integrated with KC Back Office stock and accounts software and with KC Stock Manager, a handheld device that electronically manages incoming and outgoing stock, reducing the need for re-keying information. It has brought greater flexibility, including a two-tier pricing system and improved customisation of prices at point of sale.

The great outdoors

Whether you are planning for next summer or thinking about next week, there are all kinds of ways to make your outdoor space work better for you

Winter draws on, and operators may be more focused on what is happening inside their bars. But now is the time to start planning for next summer as new structures may take months to get through the planning process, points out Jerry Hodkinson, marketing manager at design company and supplier Andy Thornton. This year, it introduced the Four Seasons Shelter which has four open sides but still provides shelter from the wind and rain, no matter where the wind is blowing from. It can incorporate drinks shelves, bar stools and infrared heaters and is even suitable for casual drinking and dining.

However, Andy Thornton has worked with other operators on more bespoke solutions. An architectural metalwork shelter at the Hare & Hounds in Osterley, west London, combines decorative columns and brackets from Andy Thornton’s standard colonnade systems with glazed gables that were vertically split to reflect the “mock Tudor” timber gable ends of the building (pictured). Covering 47.5 square metres, it has a bronze “optifloat” toughened glass roof to lessen the sun’s glare on bright days. “The structure has proven to be a great success with drinkers and diners looking for an al fresco experience,” Hodkinson notes.

For the Grand Union Group of bars, a poorly performing pub in Brixton was a potential goldmine because of its outdoor space, according to director Adam Marshall. When they reopened the site as a Grand Union in November last year, the extensive back garden had acquired four treehouses – on ground level but providing a bit of bucolic intimacy for groups, with low-level seating and tables. “The huts get booked up months in advance on Fridays and Saturdays,” Marshall says. The garden has seating for 300 people and is marketed as “London’s largest beer garden”.

Decking

Installation of decking can increase the profit potential of a bar or pub by maximising useable outdoor space, says Adam Pulfer, sales and marketing director of Hoppings, which supplies Q-Grip slip-resistant decking. This year, it worked on a project to transform the outside of St Mary’s Gate Inn in Arundel, West Sussex. The existing area was poorly defined, the existing concrete was uneven, a low-level wall proved more of a hazard than an attractive feature, and the gravelled areas were messy and difficult to look after.

About 90 square metres was converted to deck, freeing up redundant areas totalling around 35 square metres – an increase of 60 per cent in outdoor space – which needed approval from the local planning authority. Q-Grip slip-resistant decking was used in all the high-footfall areas and walkways to assist sure footing. The main area was divided into two decks on a split level, requiring steps that were also made with Q-Grip and a customised balustrade using Q-Deck Plus products (pictured). “The system is very easy to construct, very robust and still pleasing on the eye,” says Pulfer. There is also a wooden lattice-covered timber pergola, with a high-level wooden bar.

While outdoor specialist Breezefree can supply pergolas, gazebos or any other kind of structure, it also provides solutions that offer more immediate ways to enhance outdoor space. Its screen systems can provide stylish wind breaks to make the most of outside space even in the colder months. The latest addition to its range is Café SmartScreens which offer an option that costs less than its other screens but have the same quality and last for years.

Mobile bars

A mobile bar can add to the appeal of an outside area and drive sales, and Draught Beer Online has introduced a range of draught beer dispensers that are portable and robust with a stainless-steel finish. They have a quiet built-in compressor, a chiller and fonts all in one unit, with adjustable temperature control and flow rate – it is capable of serving up to 240 pints at four degrees Celsius per hour. While a standard set-up for a mobile bar includes CO2 bottles, separate font heads, bulky chillers and numerous plug sockets, this system needs only the dispenser to be plugged in and the keg to be connected before beer is ready to be served in about five minutes.

Outside areas can have the same quality of sound and light as a bar’s interior. Andy Thornton continues to expand its exterior lighting collection, most recently adding the contemporary Futura range, available in combinations such as lampposts, large and small pedestals, wall brackets and a pendant lantern. Anodised aluminium louvers direct the light downwards. “Outdoor lighting can provide a totally different view from the daylight perspective, and the ultra-modern Futura would make an impact in any outdoor setting,” Hodkinson says.

TV screens can also be installed in outside areas, allowing bars to show sport and other entertainment. Aquivo’s screens range from 32 to 70 inches, built to be left outdoors all year round and resistant to the wet, humidity and dust. Some have a sunlight-readable option that eliminates reflection. “Aquivo screens have been used not only for entertainment purposes but for business benefits by venues to increase profits and interact with customers,” says Will Spring, head of business development. “The screens have been used to sell advertising to drinks brands and to highlight promotions at the venue.”

Outdoor sound

The quality of exterior sound systems can be seen in the pedestrianised area of bars and restaurants in Heddon Street off Regent Street in London’s West End, home to the likes of Absolut Ice Bar, Piccolino, Strawberry Moon’s, Aubain and The Living Room. A new audio system was installed by Bose Pro partner, West Sussex-based Bose@Horsham, for the Crown Estate and the Regent Street Association of businesses to provide quality background music outside the venues. It needed to meet the “stringent” planning guidelines of Westminster City Council, ensuring the sound for the bars did not bleed into the offices located above. There were 19 Bose FreeSpace DS1000SE loudspeakers installed, directed towards seated customers and passing trade at street level.

Audio management is via a Bose ControlSpace ESP-88 processor rack mounted in an office with a CC-16 wall plate for volume and source control. This is positioned in an environmental lockable box together with separate inputs for an iPod, microphone and mixing desk. The ESP-88 ensures volume levels have been limited and equalised perfectly and cannot be tampered with. Annie Walker, director and executive officer of the Regent Street Association, says: “We’re delighted with our new Bose sound systems which truly brings Heddon Street to life for al fresco diners.”

Bar and club entertainment:
Party pastimes

From burlesque to close-up magic, there are plenty of ideas for making your bar more entertaining

Mu Mu Lounge Bar in Maidstone, Kent, had already established itself as one of the area’s best places for cocktails and late-night partying but last year it went further and converted its first floor into the “Burlesque Suite”. With booths named after icons of decadence such as Keith Richards, the opulent space has become a leading destination for some of Britain’s leading burlesque performers.

Burlesque is enjoying a revival, with performers harking back to the more theatrical shows of Gypsy Rose Lee and Tempest Storm, which were more about teasing than nudity. This “New Burlesque” is proving a draw at high-end venues such as Bar 190 at the Gore Hotel in Knightsbridge, which has run “Burlesque Soirees” featuring Miss Polly Rae and the Hurly Burly Girls. These kinds of shows are provided for bars and clubs through bespoke entertainment companies such as Beau Production and Triple U Productions and promoters including Skinny Pete Promotions, which is responsible for this month’s Femmes Fatales at Mu Mu featuring the wonderfully named Marianne Cheesecake, Fifi Fatale and Fleur Blanche.

Burlesque was at its most popular in the 1930s and 1940s, and its revival coincides with a nostalgia for this period, with the forces sweetheart, Vera Lynn, at number one in the album charts last month. The Shaun Clarkson-designed Pigalle Club in London was inspired by 1940s supper clubs, and staff and customers often dress in fashions from the period. Cocktail bar Bourne & Hollingsworth in London’s West End not only mimics a 1940s front room but events include a 1940s Blitz party with swing music in a room decked out with gas masks, black-out curtains and sandbags.

Promoter Time for Tea, run by Polly Betton and Johnny Vercoutre, have brought back elegance from this period with their events at pubs and bars in the south-east. The Zeppelin evoked the Weimar era, with a “gentlemen only” policy where women were allowed in so long as they dressed as men, with many sporting pencilled-on moustaches. After organising a “1940s pyjama party” in May, Time for Tea has linked up with the Dhillon Hotel Group to produce The White Blackbird – quarterly events at the 17th-century country house hotel, Stoke Place, in Buckinghamshire, recreating “grand old country-house parties” with brightly-coloured cocktails, swing dancing lessons, classic movies and a “spectacular jelly feast”.

Nick Cash created the Brickhouse restaurant, bar and supper club in Brick Lane, east London, to recreate the style of “1930s speakeasies and supper clubs – but without Prohibition”. Its entertainment features acts such as aerial acrobats Leo & Yam and The Globe Girls, a group of drag queens who are much in demand at the moment. Made up of professional West End performers, the Globe Girls aim to be more than “just another drag act” through their glamorous Las Vegas costumes and repertoire of songs from modern pop to the Moulin Rouge. They have also performed at venues such as the Dorchester, Claridges and, from next month, the Roof Gardens in Kensington, when the Christmas party season kicks off. Their surroundings at this London venue will be suitably spectacular, with owner Virgin Limited Edition creating a “Narnia Winter Wonderland” with animal statues and Ice Queen cocktails.

Themed parties can be achieved cost-effectively through specialist suppliers of props and event equipment such as Themes Incorporated. “There is really nothing like theming and dressing a venue to create that elusive ‘wow factor’,” says David Churches, managing director of Themes Incorporated. “When customers enter a familiar space to see it transformed into something magical, it really does instantly inject excitement and atmosphere.”

He says that the popular themes are always changing but James Bond, Moulin Rouge and Las Vegas are perennial favourites. “Film releases always influence themed parties, Mamma Mia! being a classic example,” he adds. “We have just built some new Alice in Wonderland props to cope with the demand that will be caused by the release of the new Alice film next spring, but with over 12,000 prop items, we can normally accommodate pretty much any theme.”

Technology

Venues such as the Rutland in Edinburgh and 24:London have grabbed attention with their interactive bars, walls and other surfaces where stunning light effects can be manipulated by customers. This technology is now accessible for events through trade AV rental specialist PSCo which has taken on the iBar, whose multi-touch system offers effects such as lily pads appearing under your hand to virtual games like ping pong and customised content such as videos. Available in lengths of two metres, it can be a “posing” table or a fully functional bar counter.

For more everyday entertainment, Display UK has launched the ET Entertainment Terminal, which uses touch-screen technology to provide games, quizzes and races. Displayed on screens that can be sited anywhere in the bar, they are easy to operate and can offer something different every night of the week. “It’s an all-in-one-entertainment system that brings in more customers so they stay longer and spend more, generating extra income and profits,” explains director Richard Smart.

Close-up magic

At 21, Steve Dela is the youngest member of The Magic Circle and has just been voted onto its council but you can still catch him performing at tables every Thursday at Revolution bar in Battersea, south London. “I love working in bars, and they see it as a way of getting more people coming in,” he says. “If you have someone weekly or fortnightly, it will build up loyalty for your bar and people will come back and stay for longer. It’s cost-effective because it pays for itself.”

Dela was originally resident magician at The Loft Kitchen & Bar at No 1 Leicester Square and has performed at other London venues such as the Roof Gardens in Kensington and Cellar Door Bar. Avoid “hobbyist” magicians who may be cheap but not very good, he warns. Check credentials and ask them to do a free trial.

Chris Cross, who describes himself as a “stand-up comedy contortionist, escapologist and magician”, has been performing in bars through the UK after starting out in Newcastle. Again, it is mainly close-up tricks involving cards, rubber bands, lighters, glasses, napkins, matches and cons, he says. “I get booked to help the bar earn extra cash and to raise the bar’s profile.”

He says the biggest impact comes when venues promote him doing a regular residency. “It makes the bar more of an entertaining place to be and indeed the place to be.”

Case study: Green & Red turns up the beat

A new sound system at Green & Red Bar & Cantina in Shoreditch, east London, has enhanced its 220-capacity basement (pictured) as a venue for live music, DJs and events. Its owner, Underdog Group, brought in Sound Division Group. In a five-day fit-out, it added to the existing Martin Audio/QSC sound system, servicing and reinstalling part of the equipment, to provide greater flexibility and preserve sonic integrity.

New amps and processing were also installed plus a highly-specified DJ system, a live mixing console, mics, DI Boxes and band lighting. Sound Division Group has also run separate 16-way multicores from the mixing console to two separate sound stages, both serviced by PAR 56 lighting bars, to open up options for entertainment.

General manager Steff Oghene explains: “When we first opened in 2006, the sound system was adequate for our needs, but since opening the venue up downstairs we needed to extend the coverage.” Now, the basement is open Thursday to Saturday and live music is planned during the week.

The basement is divided into three zones. The first is the main dancefloor area of the club, called Chamucos, with the primary sound stage, and then the other two zones are Mama’s Bar and Flaco, which has a second sound stage, providing a platform for the club’s Latin DJs.

“There were a lot of dead areas before. All the sound was in front of the DJ booth,” Steff adds. “But now it sounds brilliant and the place is retaining customers for a lot longer. It now has much more atmosphere and we are pulling our old crowd from the Redchurch nearby [which Underdog sold].”

Newly installed BSS Soundweb 3008 Lite DSP has been configured for three different states across the three zones: DJ mode, live mode and a separate EQ for general background music. Local control is possible through BSS programmable wall panels behind the bar in each zone.

On the main floor, there are two Martin Audio AQ8 architectural loudspeakers and a new Martin Audio S218 sub bass unit, while a new AQ8 complements the ultra-compact AQ5s which previously serviced the main Chamucos bar. New stage lighting includes eight black PAR 56 lanterns run off a Lite Puter AX805 eight-channel mini desk with blackout and flash buttons.

Bar design report: Design for the future

From new interactive technology to the revival in craftsmanship and styles of the past, Mark Ludmon looks at some of the future design trends for bar interiors

In her book New Bar and Club Design, Bethan Ryder notes how, in an age of uncertainty, designers are increasingly seeking to turn venues into a place of escape. Looking at bars around the world, she has lighted on trends such as a tendency to seek solace in the familiar past and an obsession with other “lifeforms” such as space-age retro-futurism.

British bars, such as Northampton’s new Moroccan-inspired Momo, continue to reflect the global phenomenon of what Ryder calls “global hybrids”, with the East still figuring strongly in interiors in the West. “Designers remain inspired by other cultures but are increasingly blending them with various global elements or interpreting these influences in more subtle forms”, she suggests.

Recycled elements are another key trend, and this is already seen in the use of antique furniture salvaged from auction houses and charity shops and reupholstered and restored at venues such as the eclectic Callooh Callay, Grand Union bars and Pix Bar in London and The Saint in Edinburgh. Lower East in Canary Wharf, London, was converted from a Jamie’s bar by design company Studio 48 London, reupholstering existing furniture and putting a new striped panel on the bar front. “In the current climate we were keen to apply the idea of ‘upcycling’ and regeneration,” says Studio 48 managing director Gabriel Murray. “Clients want luxury for less – they want as much as possible for their budget.”

When it comes to furniture, the market has been shifting towards “plush” rather than minimalist interiors, according to supplier Warings Furniture. In response to this, it has introduced a collection of new chairs such as the Cuba which has been proving “exceptionally popular”. This has a solid beech frame and can be upholstered in all sorts of different fabrics such as leather or faux leather with either matching or contrasting buttons.

Geometric Furniture has already had success with its Boutique and Opulence Collections and has now launched a collection called Expressions based on 18 months’ research by its in-house design team into new design. The range of over 300 hand-crafted designs includes dining chairs, tables, tub chairs, sofas, cabinets and outdoor furniture that offer elegance, linear forms and modernity.

The most interesting development in bar and club design, according to Ryder, is the use of technology. “The bar essentials of comfort, flexibility, theatricality and escapism are being offered in thrilling new ways,” she says. Alan Smith, an associate at design company BCA London, points to how technology is allowing venues to create new and exciting environments. “Interactive design tools can incorporate lighting, furniture and technology to create breath-taking features,” he explains. “In this way, they can reinforce the unique character and brand concept of a bar.

“Interactive elements ultimately encourage customers to engage with their surroundings, presenting the bar as a point of interest among potential and returning customers,” he continues. “Clever use of interactive options combined with a sophisticated overall spatial design can create bars with a greater longevity and desirability to the customers.”

When London restaurant and bar Inamo opened in September last year, it grabbed attention for its interactive ordering system that projected menus onto tables from overhead. The founders, Danny Potter and Noel Hunwick, have now packaged it for other bars and restaurants under the name of E-Table. It consists of a table made of Corian and a projector that is housed directly above, beaming down onto a wireless touch panel embedded in the table. This allows customers to navigate around menus for not just food but also to control a virtual tablecloth, play games or tap into a “chef cam” providing live feeds from the kitchen. As well as using the full ordering system, bar operators can use portable versions of the tables and projectors on a trial basis or for events or install a touchscreen version.

Interactive bar tops, walls and tables have been installed at venues such as The Rutland in Edinburgh and 24:London through Mindstorm, in partnership with Panasonic, but the technology is continuing to evolve with new options for bars now available, according to Mindstorm co-founder Kenneth Siber. The fundamentals of the technology are that it uses projection and an infra red camera system to allow images to react to moving objects – such as the hands of the judges in the X Factor last month when they used Mindstorm’s Aurora multi-touch table to sift through images of contestants digitally.

While the system has been used to create interactive walls, the newest product is the Supercell which are large brick-like blocks that can be integrated into a wall or installed free-standing. There is also the Vortex, a conical-shaped cocktail or poseur table which for the first time adapts the technology to a rounded surface rather than square. Similarly, it has been developed for a curved wall for the first time, installed at new Miami nightclub Mia. It also links into the venue’s epos system allowing customers to order drinks via the interactive bar so that “it can really become a revenue generator,” Siber adds.

He says the next step is to make the technology “disappear” to appeal more to designers. “No-one wants to see technology. It shouldn’t be obvious in a bar or restaurant environment. It has to disappear into the design so that you feel that you are standing in a cool bar but at a table that just happens to be doing lots of different things.” He adds that this has been achieved at the Tudor Lounge bar in Guildford, Surrey, where the technology behind the interactive tables and walls has been well hidden.

According to Murray at Studio 48, designers are increasingly getting involved with more than just the interior décor. “We need to learn from retail about merchandising,” he says. “At Lower East, we put new lighting behind the bar to spotlight brands in a way that they do at Selfridges to maximise impact.” Studio 48 was also involved in devising the music offering at Lower East as this has as much impact on the ambience as the interior design and the lighting. “Music can really change the mood of the place,” Murray says. “It’s not something we really got involved with before.”

Whether it is music or technology, bars offer an escape in the best theatrical tradition, a place where the design is as important as the DJ in creating the entertainment. “The shelf-life of a bar or club is generally shorter than that of a other commercial leisure establishments,” points out Ryder. “Therefore, such venues are more likely to be inspired by the whims of fashion, with designers willing to experiment and push the boundaries in terms of materials and themes.”

The Revivalists

British design commentator Max Frazer has identified The Revivalists as one of the emerging “design tribes” on Britain’s creative scene. As part of the London Design Festival in September and October, he curated an exhibition of their work at Contemporary Applied Arts, which included furniture from award-winning bar designer Lee Broom.

“There is a wave of designers who are reacting against mass production and constant ‘newness’,” Frazer explains. He says they are looking to re-appropriate the forgotten or overlooked or reinvigorate a genre from an earlier era. They may be refreshing a style, material or technique that is no longer in vogue or referencing heritage, locality and provenance.

Revivalists include Adam Rowe, whose work challenges “the misconceptions of material aesthetics and the value placed on materials”. Examples of his furniture are a Victorian grandfather chair that is a modern adaptation of an original classic, combining traditional craftsmanship and high-quality leather with a modern cheap sustainable material, OSB.

Other furniture designers that are part of this “tribe” include Helen Amy Murray, Gareth Neal and Kay & Stemmer. Broom himself has just unveiled his Heritage Boy collection which draws on traditional British manufacturing techniques such as tiles, parquetry and carpetry, covering classic furniture such as a sideboard with carpet.

Another Revivalist, Based Upon, describe their work as “legacy pieces”, with each piece built up from personal and seemingly worthless souvenirs that people collect through their lifetime. They have already worked on furniture and artworks for the Nobu Berkeley, Marco Pierre White’s Luciano, London’s May Fair Hotel and Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and Royal Hospital Road restaurants.

Their latest work can be seen at Quintessentially Soho, the pop-up members’ lounge bar at the Grade 1-listed House of St Barnabas in Greek Street, London, from October to the end of December. Designer Russell Sage has restored the interior working with a design collective including Based Upon, George Smith, Farrow & Ball, ISG, Oakwood Build, Soane Britain, Luke Irwin, Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company and English Looking Glass.

Restaurant and Bar Design

Top designers such as Paul Daly, Tim Mutton, David Collins, Ilse Crawford and Mark Bithrey are among a high-profile list of commentators on new website, www.RestaurantandBarDesign.com.

The blog highlights international cutting-edge restaurant and bar design, launched as a sister project to the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. The first British venue to be featured is Hummingbird in Glasgow, featured alongside some of the most spectacular venues around the world.

Other commentators voicing opinions about the projects include operators such as Eric Yu of the Breakfast Group, Jonathan Downey of Match Bar Group, Jillian Maclean of Drake and Morgan and Ed Martin of ETM Group.

Published: November 2009

Bar food report: Match point

Mark Ludmon finds there is no reason to stop at wine when looking at matching food and drink in your bar

Matching food with wine is a road well travelled for many bars and restaurants but some operators are starting to look beyond this at new ideas. At Jason Fendick’s new Spanish restaurant PinchitoTapas WC1 in London, a concept has been launched in partnership with Pernod Ricard UK where customers choose one of Campo Viejo’s riojas first and then wait to see what food is brought to match it. Called Viva el Vino, it is due to be rolled out to other restaurants next year. “Viva el Vino is all about providing adventurous diners with the opportunity to enjoy the perfect combination of wine and food in a fun, unique and unusual way,” explains Campo Viejo marketing controller Mathew Bird.

Other bars and restaurants are going further, developing menus that match food with speciality beers. London’s Michelin-starred restaurant Quilon introduced a menu pairing beers with its Indian dishes four years ago and has a new eight-course menu that matches popadums and tomato chutney with elderberry-flavoured blonde beer Kasteel Cru Rosé and prawns and scallops with chestnutty Pietra. “It helps people appreciate that they don’t have to just come in and order a lager,” says chef Sriram Aylur. “It not only showcases the beers on our menu but also shows that beer can be complex, making it a special experience.”

Spirits producers has also identified opportunities from food matching. When Cellar Trends launched its Glen Grant 1992 Cellar Reserve single malt at Scottish bar and restaurant Albannach in London, master distiller Dennis Malcolm came up with suggestions for matching the whisky’s different styles with different foods such as smoked salmon and guinea fowl. At last month’s Rum Fest in London, UK rum ambassador Ian Burrell joined forces with Rococo Chocolates to highlight the marriage of rum and chocolate. “The subtle complexities and richness of these unique spirits brings out the full flavour of the chocolate and vice versa, combining to provide an irresistible double act that will appeal to both the connoisseur and beginner gourmand.”

Another innovation is matching food with cocktails – something that Dale Degroff experimented with at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan. The Loft in Clapham, south London, introduced a four-course cocktail matching menu earlier this year, in which owner Andy Campana used ingredients such as asparagus, lavender, cardamom, thyme and garden peas in the cocktails to match dishes from the kitchen.

Matching food with drinks provides a promotional opportunity for bars, but even a simple food menu can help to drive sales. “Offering food is a great way for bars to capitalise on impulse purchases and generate additional revenue,” says Tim Shearer, marketing manager for 3G Food Service and Seafood Solutions. He recommends burgers as one of the most popular items for bar menus, such as 3G’s ostrich, chicken and crocodile, wild boar and bison burgers and Big Al’s Flame Cooked beef and chicken burgers.

“Also, in the run-up to Christmas, it’s often a good idea to offer customers complementary bar snacks,” Shearer adds. “This doesn’t have to cost the earth and can help to create a welcoming atmosphere for your venue and make Christmas celebrations that little bit more memorable.”

Peppadew’s sweet piquante peppers are being targeted at bars this Christmas for serving stuffed or chopped up in dishes around the bar instead of peanuts and olives. Grown in South Africa, they provide “sweet heat” and have a dark red colour that matches the seasonal theme. Also new to the market is flavoured variants of the Nutz brand from Zeina Foods, including sun-dried tomato, basic and garlic cashews and spicy chilli cashews.

Festive sharing platters and “Party Time” menus have been developed for bars by Moy Park Foodservice drawing on its range of products, from Buffalo wings and chicken fillets to coated camembert and brie, plus dips. “Christmas sharing platters are great money-making opportunities, adding value to the customer experience and tempting those who ordinarily just come in for a drink,” explains Moy Park marketer Jayne Hall. “Christmas and New Year is a key period for outlets to benefit from incremental sales and expand their offering to both new and existing customers.”

Vegetable crisp company Glennans expects premium-label snacks to be in demand at Christmas. “With the gloom of the year possibly coming to an end, this Christmas consumers will want to let loose and indulge in party food, which all hopefully will result in a larger spend on food and drink,” says Glennans director Sarah Moore.

Published November 2009