GoKawiilHow Bar Design Essentials author Tobin Ellis is helping operators stop prioritizing look over workflow to unlock peak-volume profits.
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Key Takeaways Too many restaurants and businesses prioritize aesthetics over functionality.
Thoughtful workflows, empathy and understanding operational needs can unlock hidden profits in any business.
The best bars and service businesses create what Ellis calls “the dance.”
Too many restaurants and businesses prioritize aesthetics over functionality. Thoughtful workflows can unlock hidden profits in any business. As Americans drink less overall, restaurants and bars need to prioritize customer experiences.
Tobin Ellis has spent decades watching restaurants make the same expensive mistake: building bars that look incredible and function terribly.
“Why are there so many beautiful bars in the world that are terrible bars?” Ellis asked.
For Ellis, the problem starts long before opening night. Operators obsess over aesthetics, timelines and budgets while ignoring the actual mechanics of service.
“This is going to be a chandelier. That’s going to be Italian marble,” Ellis said, describing construction walkthroughs. “And I’m always like, great, where’s the pickup? Where are you putting the support section? Where’s the pass?”
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