Professional bar furniture cost is one of the largest expenses anyone opening a bar has to face, and the bar counter is the most expensive element of all. This guide looks at the costs involved in furnishing a new bar and at the choices that make it possible to save money without compromising the result.
Deciding to open a bar usually means the business case has already been assessed. The next step is to understand what it costs to equip the premises with a bar counter and all the other furnishings, and where the budget really goes.
When do you need to budget for new bar furniture?
The question arises above all when a bar is built from scratch. Taking over an existing bar usually means finding all the necessary furnishings already in place.
Even then, many new owners decide to make changes to refresh the bar’s image and show that new management has taken over, up to and including the purchase of new bar furnishings. A partial refit and a complete fit-out lead to very different budgets, so it is worth deciding early which of the two is needed.
How much does a bar counter cost?
The counter is the most expensive furnishing element needed to open a bar, and a bakery too. It is one of the most important components in any place where food or drinks are served. Besides the external part that customers see, the counter includes an internal working part and often a refrigerated display cabinet.
The figures below are indicative market averages and vary widely from one manufacturer to another:
- the average cost of a counter is around €5,000 per square metre, with significant differences, higher or lower, depending on the manufacturer;
- the platform behind the counter is usually covered with bubbled linoleum, which can cost from €7 to €40 per square metre;
- a granite top for the external part of the counter can range from €20–30 per square metre to several hundred euros for more prestigious materials;
- a refrigerated display cabinet can cost from €3,000 to €20,000, depending on materials, finishes and shape: a square display cabinet, for example, costs less than a curved one.
Which materials work best for a bar counter top?
The choice of material affects both the price and the lifespan of the counter. Granite is the most common choice for the top. A chipboard counter, on the other hand, can absorb humidity over time.
Wood is another option: a very hard-wearing material, available in a wide range of colours. Whatever the material, it is worth checking how it responds to cleaning, moisture and daily wear, because the counter is the surface that works hardest in the whole bar.
What does it cost to furnish the rest of the bar?
The other furnishings, such as shelving and tables, matter too, but their cost is decidedly more reasonable. This is why the cost per square metre of a small bar is higher than that of a larger one: the counter weighs more on a smaller total area.
For an entirely new bar, the cost of furnishing the area open to the public can be around €700 per square metre. In some cases it can comfortably exceed €1,000 per square metre.
These are average figures: depending on the choices made, the total can rise considerably. A clear brief, with the number of covers, the type of service and the style of the bar, helps keep the budget under control from the start.
How to save money without sacrificing quality
The most important rule is to choose furnishings made with good-quality materials. Otherwise they will need replacing after a short time. Well-chosen furnishings, regularly maintained, keep a bar looking good even after decades.
Low-quality furnishings chosen to save money, such as a thin steel counter top, make a bar look worn out quickly. The real saving lies elsewhere:
- investing in the counter and the refrigerated display cabinets, which work every day;
- keeping shelving, tables and secondary elements simpler;
- planning maintenance from the outset, so that surfaces last.
A lot also depends on how many years the bar is meant to stay open. If the aim is to gain some experience in the trade before opening a larger bar, or one in a different city, containing costs can be a sensible choice.
The Be-Like and Madison furnishing lines show how counter, bar-back units and display cabinets come together in a single project. Frigomeccanica can help define the configuration that fits the space and the budget of a new bar.