Bar Layout? - Counters, cabinets etc.

I'm getting down to laying out the business side of my bar and would like to hear what others have done as far as counter layout, storage, etc. Admittedly, I've not spent much time on the business side of the bar so this is a new area for me.

Right now I'm figuring on a 42-inch high bartop that will be 14-inches wide, with a bar rail area on the backside. The prep counters will be 36-inches high by 24-inches wide. The bar will overlap the counter space several inches to save space and reaching. I am concerned about how wide the two counters will be as my space is somewhat tight. I'm curious what others have as far as dimensions of the bar and counters?

My bar is outside but I am contemplating running some water and creating drainage, if only to wash hands and dump melted ice. I assume most people have water & drainage available (wet bar)?

I'm jealous if you have water & drainage in your outside bar. I don't. But I do have an awesome outdoor bar that my husband built me. He rocks! Check out my build, I'm updating it tonight with new pics so it shouldbe easy to find.

Thanks Lori - Your build is one of them that I have used for ideas. Just checked out your new pics. The backbar looks great! Looks like you guys are thinking about a lot of the same things I am these days.

If I do it, my plan for water and drainage is to run a hose to the bar. For drainage, I have a plastic barrel that I am going to cut the bottom out and drill a ton of holes, then bury and fill with pea stones to make a "crock" that should handle a low volume of water. My thought is it would be nice to have running water to keep hands clean and a place to toss any un-consummed liquids and give cups a quick rinse before carrying them inside to the dishwasher. Our outside water doesn't go through our filtration and isn't going to be good for drinking purposes. I am looking at installing an RV sink...just something small that wouldn't take up much space.

That's a good idea Jim. Our bar is on the other side of the pool, away from the house so we'd need a lot of hose to get water over there but it's worth considering.

Lori, what are the dimensions of your counter tops: Bar top width? Prep Counter width? Aisle distance between bar and back bar?

Do you have a refrigerator in the bar (didn't see it in your photos)?

Pull out drawers are a really nice feature as well. Gives you a place to put bar tools, coasters, books and other small items that would otherwise take up valuable space in your cabinets.

Also, make sure that your cabinets are the right size so you can install wire or other pull out shelves. I have found that these are awesome for the lower cabinets. It sucks to have to get down on your knees to reach back and try to get that one particular bottle that you need.

Plan your electrical needs early as well. Outlets for blenders and other electrical devices are an obvious, but bar lighting is something else to consider. LED tape strips are next to invisible and can add some really cool effects to your bar.

I don't know your layout, but when I re-did the bar in The Storm Shelter, I found that going a bit smaller allowed me to work around the bar much easier and allowed people to congregate and mix more easily than a big monolithic bar did.