EPISODE · Mar 17, 2026 · 56 MIN
#81 Tobin Ellis: Why Do Bars Still Ignore Bartenders?
from Serves You Right · host Andrew Roy
Most bar owners believe great cocktails, expensive interiors, and beautiful design create successful bars. The thing is, you see a lot of expensive, empty bars out there though…The real performance engine of a bar is workflow. When bartenders are forced to walk, reach, bend, or share equipment unnecessarily, service slows down, guest experience collapses, and operators quietly lose massive amounts of revenue. In this episode, world renowned bar designer Tobin Ellis explains why most bars are built without understanding how bartenders actually work, how poor layouts damage bartender health and performance, and how small design decisions can cost a venue hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. If you care about hospitality, bar profitability, bartender longevity, or building a serious beverage program, this episode reveals the surprisingly simple truth of bar design: maybe we should design bars for the people working in them.Expect to Learn:Why most bars are accidentally designed to slow bartenders downThe “Zero Step” principle that makes bartenders dramatically fasterHow poor bar layouts quietly destroy profits during peak hoursWhy mirrored bar stations confuse bartender muscle memoryThe simple design mistakes that force bartenders to run laps all nightLinks:Bar Design Essentials by Tobin EllisStudio BarmagicFollow Tobin Ellis on InstagramService starts now.Follow the show: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTubeI talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. Check out the Podcast Website Here and get in touch with me!Classic Episodes You May Like:#22:Doug Frost MW MS#23:Jeffrey Morgenthaler#31:ET: Entrepreneur (and creator of Surfer on Acid)#38:Aaron Goldfarb Hunting for Ancient Booze#39:Edward Slingerland's Masterful work on Intoxication#46:Andrew Hurley of Vegas.Wine#64:Chris Tunstall of A Bar AboveAs always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.Cheers
What this episode covers
Most bar owners believe great cocktails, expensive interiors, and beautiful design create successful bars. The thing is, you see a lot of expensive, empty bars out there though…The real performance engine of a bar is workflow. When bartenders are forced to walk, reach, bend, or share equipment unnecessarily, service slows down, guest experience collapses, and operators quietly lose massive amounts of revenue. In this episode, world renowned bar designer Tobin Ellis explains why most bars are built without understanding how bartenders actually work, how poor layouts damage bartender health and performance, and how small design decisions can cost a venue hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. If you care about hospitality, bar profitability, bartender longevity, or building a serious beverage program, this episode reveals the surprisingly simple truth of bar design: maybe we should design bars for the people working in them.Expect to Learn:Why most bars are accidentally designed to slow bartenders downThe “Zero Step” principle that makes bartenders dramatically fasterHow poor bar layouts quietly destroy profits during peak hoursWhy mirrored bar stations confuse bartender muscle memoryThe simple design mistakes that force bartenders to run laps all nightLinks:Bar Design Essentials by Tobin EllisStudio BarmagicFollow Tobin Ellis on InstagramService starts now.Follow the show: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTubeI talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. Check out the Podcast Website Here and get in touch with me!Classic Episodes You May Like:#22:Doug Frost MW MS#23:Jeffrey Morgenthaler#31:ET: Entrepreneur (and creator of Surfer on Acid)#38:Aaron Goldfarb Hunting for Ancient Booze#39:Edward Slingerland's Masterful work on Intoxication#46:Andrew Hurley of Vegas.Wine#64:Chris Tunstall of A Bar AboveAs always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.Cheers
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#81 Tobin Ellis: Why Do Bars Still Ignore Bartenders?
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