{"id":94999,"date":"2026-10-23T02:28:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=94999"},"modified":"2026-10-23T02:28:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:28:26","slug":"how-hong-kong-cocktail-bars-design-for-service-ergonomics-and-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=94999","title":{"rendered":"How Hong Kong cocktail bars design for service, ergonomics and success"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u201cYou can tell in about 30 seconds whether a bar was designed by someone who\u2019s worked a busy shift or by someone who drew a nice picture,\u201d says Nikita Matveev.<\/p>\n

Ask mixologists<\/span> what they notice when they walk into a bar, and they won\u2019t mention the menu or the mood board. Matveev, head bartender of Dead Poets and The Old Man, counts the steps \u2013 how far bartenders must reach for ice, trash and stock, and whether they\u2019re bumping into each other. Lorenzo Antinori sees light first: how it falls on the tables, where guests are seated and the warmth of a room. Ajit Gurung watches the service flow before he ever looks at the setup.<\/div>\n
All three run celebrated local bars<\/span> \u2013 Antinori\u2019s neighbourhood space Bar Leone, which has topped regional and world rankings; Gurung\u2019s umami-focused The Savory Project; and Matveev\u2019s barber shop by day, cocktail bar by night, Dead Poets. Their venues could hardly be more different. But they share a conviction that rarely occurs to most guests: a bar is a workplace first, and its design determines how well it works. A poorly designed bar wastes staff\u2019s time and energy, wearing them out and slowing service \u2013 and guests feel every bit of it.<\/div>\n
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The hexagonal bar counter at The Savory Project. Photo: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cA well-designed, ergonomic bar<\/span> allows bartenders to move fluidly without looking down or hunting for gear,\u201d Antinori says, \u201ckeeping their heads up to make eye contact, engage [with customers] and maintain a high-energy, welcoming atmosphere.\u201d<\/div>\n

His rule is that the cocktail station, or \u201ccockpit\u201d \u2013 the ice well, speed rail, water source, trash and glass rack \u2013 must be reachable within one or two steps. \u201cReaching, twisting, or bending repeatedly over a 10-hour shift drains productivity and physically wears down the team,\u201d Antinori says. The cocktail station should be fixed from day one. Everything else \u2013 the backbar layout, furniture, lighting, shelving \u2013 can and should evolve with experience and guest traffic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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