Commercial Bar Counters and Back Bars for Hotel and Restaurant Projects: Five Sourcing Routes for FF&E Contractors
Five sourcing routes for commercial bar counters and back bars, and what to put in the drawings so quotations can be compared line by line.
Commercial bar counters and back bars are fixed furniture: they are drawn to the plan of one venue, sized to its services and joined on site. A hotel bar, a restaurant bar and a lounge bar can share the same elements, a front, a top, a foot rail and a back unit, and still be built by different workshops. For an FF&E contractor the question is not which factory makes the nicest sample, but who builds each element and who checks the joints.
This guide sorts the supply side into five sourcing routes so a project team can send one brief to the right makers and compare the answers fairly. It is not a ranking. No factory is named or scored here, and no claim is made about the strength, hygiene or fire performance of any product. The brand, the designer and the local authority define those requirements, and each maker must show evidence for the exact materials it offers. The seating that goes with the counter is covered in our guide to FBM Sourcing’s guide to commercial bar stool manufacturers, and the general case for built-to-drawing items in our page on fixed furniture and joinery. FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.
What should a bar counter brief state?
A brief that says only “bar counter, marble top, 8 metres” produces quotations that cannot be compared. State at least the following, copied from the plan, the elevations and the specification.
- Drawing reference and venue: one code per bar or back bar, with the drawing numbers for plan, elevation and section.
- Dimensions and sections: overall length, depth and height, the sections the unit is made in and where joints fall.
- Top: material, thickness, edge profile, overhang and joint position, with the finish code and approved sample.
- Front and carcass: carcass material, front finish and any feature panel, glass or metal, with samples.
- Working side: shelves, sink cut-outs, drain and equipment openings, with who supplies each fitted item.
- Back bar: shelving, mirror, glass or cabinet doors, lighting and the fixing to the wall.
- Services: power, water and drainage points the drawing shows, and who connects them.
- Foot rail and details: foot rail, kick plates and edge protection, with finish codes.
- Packing and sequence: how sections and tops are protected and marked by venue and item code, and the delivery order.
Five sourcing routes for bar counters and back bars
1. Commercial joinery workshops
Joinery workshops build bars and back bars to the drawing in timber, veneer or board, with fitted shelves and doors. Ask for shop drawings of each section, a description of the carcass and front construction and a corner sample, and approve the drawings in writing before production. See our guide to custom millwork and joinery packages.
2. Stone, solid surface and composite top fabricators
Tops in stone, solid surface or composite are made by fabricators that may be separate from the carcass maker. Ask who is responsible for the join between top and carcass, how the top is supported, how seams are made and how tops are packed and marked. See our guide to solid surface manufacturers for the supply side.
3. Metal and glass fabricators
Metal fronts, foot rails, shelf frames and glass back-bar elements come from metalworking and glass workshops. Ask for the section drawings, the finish description and a sample of a joint, and confirm how the glass and metal parts are fixed to the joinery.
4. Bar equipment and refrigeration suppliers
Under-counter refrigeration, sinks and bar fittings are supplied by equipment makers. Ask for the equipment list with dimensions so that the joinery maker can draw the openings, and agree who supplies and fits each item. See our guide to hotel buffet and service counters for a neighbouring counter type.
5. Full venue packages
Some contractors quote the whole venue, bar included. This gives one party to coordinate, but ask the contractor to price the bar elements as their own lines and to name the maker of each, so that a weak element cannot hide in a package price. For the supply side of the wider range see FBM Sourcing’s guide to pub and bar chain sourcing.
Details that get missed on a bar package
Bar packages are drawn once and changed many times on site, so the details below are worth writing into the brief before the first quotation. They are prompts for your own drawing set, not findings from any one project.
- Counter-top overhang and knee space: the overhang the drawing shows on the guest side, and what supports it.
- Back-bar loading: what the back-bar shelves are expected to carry, as the designer states it, and how the shelves are fixed.
- Door and drawer hardware: the hardware named on the drawing, and who supplies it.
- Glass and mirror: edge finish, fixing method and who supplies the glass.
- Lighting: built-in lighting, its power supply and the access panel the drawing shows.
- Cleaning access: the surfaces and joints that staff reach daily, and how they are finished.
Send your bar drawings
Send the plans, elevations and quantities, and we will tell you which bar details are missing before factories quote.
How to compare bar counter quotations
- What is included: carcass, top, front, back bar, foot rail and packing, shown as separate lines with the unit of measure stated.
- Drawing match: each line tied to a drawing reference so that omitted elements show up before the order.
- Top detail: material, thickness, edge, seams and support named on each line.
- Fitted items: sinks, shelves, doors and equipment openings listed with who supplies each.
- Samples and mock-up: whether finish samples or a section mock-up are included.
- Packing and delivery order: how sections are marked and in what order they ship.
- Exclusions and substitutions: any change of top, front or hardware the maker proposes.
A quotation that is cheaper on one line may be thinner on another. Read the descriptions side by side before reading the totals.
Samples, approval and acceptance on delivery
Approve a finished sample bar section or finish board, not a photograph, before bulk production, and record the approval in writing against the item code. Place it beside the other pieces of the room set so finish, height and edge are seen together. Keep the approved sample as the reference for the bulk order. Our guide to samples, finishes and approvals sets out the approval sequence.
On delivery, check a sample of cartons against the order: item code, size, finish, hardware and quantity of each part. Note any difference in writing on the day with photographs, so the maker can respond while the evidence is fresh. Before shipment our own team checks quantities, dimensions, finish, hardware and packing against the signed-off specification, and you receive a QC report with photos and video.
Name the rules in the specification
The rules that apply to bar counters and back bars depend on the destination, the building and the materials. Name the requirement in the specification and ask each factory what evidence it can provide for the exact model offered. Our United States, Canada and Australia and New Zealand compliance pages explain how we approach the main rules. Your specifier or certifier decides what applies to your project.
Counters that carry food and drink may also be subject to venue and hygiene rules set by the local authority. Name those requirements in the brief; we do not state them here.
What evidence to ask each route for
Evidence should be requested for the exact materials, not for a product family. Ask for the following in writing and keep the answers with the quotation.
- Joinery workshops: shop drawings, carcass and front description and a corner sample.
- Top fabricators: material name, seam and support description and a top sample.
- Metal and glass fabricators: section drawings, finish description and a jointed sample.
- Equipment suppliers: the equipment list with dimensions and opening drawings.
- Package contractors: the maker of each element, separate price lines and an installation method statement.
Specification gaps to close before quotation
A quotation cannot answer the questions below for itself. Check that the brief answers these questions before it goes out.
- Are plan, elevations and sections for the bar and back bar in one drawing set?
- Which top material, thickness and edge does the specification name?
- Who supplies sinks, refrigeration and fitted items, and are the openings drawn?
- Where do services enter, and who connects them?
- How are sections numbered and in what order are they delivered?
- Who confirms site dimensions before shop drawings are approved?
Next steps for a bar package
Send each maker the same drawing set: plans, elevations, sections, item codes, finish codes and quantities. Ask for answers in writing, line by line, and request samples before bulk production. FBM Furniture is the furniture-focused team of FBM Sourcing, which manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. See also our pages on public area and restaurant furniture and restaurant and café tables, and our case studies.
Frequently asked questions
Should the bar and the back bar be quoted together?
You can ask the same workshop to quote both so finishes match, but keep each element on its own line with its own drawing reference. A package price can hide a weak line.
Who is responsible for the join between a stone top and the carcass?
Name the responsible party in the brief. If the top and the carcass come from different makers, give both the same drawing and approve a mock-up or sample of the joint before bulk production.
Who confirms site dimensions for a bar?
The project team confirms the site dimensions and services before shop drawings are approved. Ask the factory to mark the dimensions it relies on, and approve the drawing in writing.
Do we need a sample before ordering?
Yes. Approve finish samples and, for a long counter, a mock-up of one section, and keep them as the reference for the bulk order.
How does FBM Furniture charge for bar joinery?
For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.
Send your bar drawings
Send the plans, elevations and quantities, and we will tell you which bar details are missing before factories quote.