The front bar is exactly where customers’ drinks are served. The space is 16 to 18 inches wide, covered by an impermeable surface of treated wood, stone (such as marble or granite), or plastic laminate. Some bars have a 6- to 8-inch padded armrest along the front edge. The recessed area, closest to the bartender, is known as the rail (glass rail, drip rail, or spill channel). That’s exactly where the bartender mixes the drinks. For space, portable bar makers can use a slightly recessed mixing rack.

The typical bar is 42 to 48 inches tall, the optimal height for bartender performance and leaning on. All bar related equipment is designed to fit under a 42-inch bar. The vertical front panel that supports the front of the bar is called the bar array. Protect the bottom bar from public view. If you’re sitting on the bar and you kick it, what your foot hits is the bar. On the guest side, there is usually a metal footrest that runs the length of the bar array, about 12 inches from the floor. It is sometimes referred to as brass rail, a term that dates back to the saloons of the Old West.

The front bar or top bar is, of course, the horizontal area where drinks are served. When choosing a bar, avoid the straight-line rectangular model in favor of one with corners or angles, which makes guests sit facing each other and go instead of looking directly at the wall. Naturally, the last “conversation bar” is the island, an oblong-shaped bar with the bartender in the center. People can sit around you and see each other easily. However, the bars on the island take up a lot of space. They are also the most expensive to build. A word about bar stools. Choose them for height and comfort, and leave two feet of linear space per stool. Because they are high off the ground, the extra travel for the footpegs is much more comfortable. As with any type of chair, you have many options.