Most bar designers plan a working aisle of about 30 to 36 inches behind the bar, and 36 inches is the usual target when more than one person works it. That range is common practice, not law, and your local building and fire code sets the legal minimum.
Shop the bar line: bar sinks, underbar ice bins, cocktail stations and bar refrigeration. Freight is included on every order.
What bar designers commonly recommend
The figures below come from published bar design guides. They are common practice, not code. Measure the clear space between the front face of the underbar equipment and the front face of the back bar, not wall to wall.
| Situation | Common practice |
|---|---|
| One bartender, small bar | About 30 to 31 inches |
| General working aisle | 30 to 36 inches (some guides say 31 to 37) |
| Two or more staff, or barbacks passing | 36 inches or more. One guide suggests up to 42 inches. |
The reasoning is simple. Too narrow, and two people cannot pass, and an open cooler door blocks the whole aisle. Too wide, and the bartender has to take a step every time they turn from the front station to the back bar, which adds up over a shift. If the aisle has to be tight, trade guidance is to choose back bar refrigeration with sliding doors so an open door does not close off the walkway.
What the ADA does and does not require
The space behind a bar is an employee work area, and the 2010 ADA Standards apply only limited rules there. Do not assume the full accessible route rules apply, and do not assume nothing applies.
- Section 203.9 requires that an employee work area be designed so a person with a disability can approach, enter and exit it. Full accessibility inside the work area is not required.
- Section 206.2.8 says common use circulation paths inside employee work areas must meet the accessible route rules. Under section 403.5.1 that means 36 inches of clear width, with short sections allowed at 32 inches.
- There is an exception. Circulation paths are exempt in work areas under 1,000 square feet that are defined by permanently installed partitions, counters, casework or furnishings. Many bars are smaller than that.
- Where the path rule does apply, section 403.5 lets work area equipment reduce the clearance when the reduction is essential to the work being done.
Two cautions. These are federal minimums, and some states have stricter accessibility codes. And the customer side of the bar has its own accessibility rules, which this article does not cover.
Local code has the final say
Your local building official, fire marshal and health department have the final say on aisle width, exits and equipment placement, so show them the plan before you order equipment. Exit and egress rules in your local code can require more width than a designer would choose for workflow alone.
Common mistakes
- Measuring from the wall to the bar top. Underbar equipment and the back bar both take space out of the aisle. Measure equipment face to equipment face.
- Forgetting door swing. A hinged cooler door or an open dishwasher door can block a 30 inch aisle completely.
- Putting the ice bin or sink at the far end. If bartenders have to cross each other for ice or to rinse, a wider aisle will not fix the layout. Give each station its own ice and its own sink.
- Fixing the layout before the inspector sees it. Ask the health department where it wants the hand sink before anything is plumbed.
- Buying equipment before the aisle is drawn. Choose the equipment depth to suit the aisle you need.
What to buy
Plan the stations first, then the aisle. A typical bartender station needs:
- Underbar sinks for rinsing and dump, sized to the run of bar you have.
- Ice bins at each station so nobody crosses the aisle for ice.
- Mixology stations if you want the ice, bottle wells and work surface in one unit, which saves steps in a narrow aisle.
- Hand sinks placed where your health department wants them.
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