Bar Top Seating – ways around this Phase III guideline

Small Businesses Remain Optimistic, for 2020

The outlook for small businesses might be downplayed on the news but remains optimistic through your social media business pages. Thank you for continuing to inspire us! ABC Consulting would love to be part of your optimistic team and help make the rest of 2020 better for your business.

As laws change and policies change and executive orders shift, keep your head high and your team brainstorming in ways for you to offer new and different ways to serve your clients and new and different ways to reach your prospects.

As you can see in the picture, above, the tables are below the height of the bar at Burger Bros. This is considered acceptable! We’d like to walk you through guidelines, today, by highlighting Burger Bros, one of our clients in Richmond.

One of the Phase 3 limitations in Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s executive order is no congregating and no bar-top seating. For some restaurants, bar seating is premiere seating for singles and extends into the restaurant. Doing away with that seating area severely limits capacity as the order already insists upon 6 feet between parties. Another issue is that some patrons really enjoy their friendly bartenders! Burger Bros RVA has figured out a way to expand their seating, allowing a few more tables to be added. This method still discourages bar congregating. Win:Win – so creative. Now, patrons can talk to friendly bartender Ellen or Angelica, during dinner, too!

Your friendly bartenders, Ellen and Angelica, at Burger Bros
  • Waiting service only. Bartenders have to come out from behind the bar to serve tables in the bar area. No handing drinks over the bar top. 
  • Table height should be below the bar top height (this prevents customers leaning on the bar top or turning their seat to sit at the bar)
  • If using high-top tables (same height as bar top) they need to be arms length away from the bar or 6 ft. (this will prevent anyone leaning on the bar or turning their seats to sit at the bar) and enough walkway to walk between the bar and the table.
  • The bar-tables need to be 6 feet from all other seating.
  • All bars have to only use the “well” or mixing station to prepare beverages, but they cannot use any of the other bar areas. 
  • Bar tops also have the option to do walk-up service:
  • If you are going to do walk up orders, from tables, all patrons must be wearing their face masks and must carry their drink back to the table, before drinking it. 
  • No one can congregate at the bar top, while ordering or after they have their drinks. No one can hang out and drink, near the bar – they must go back to their table. 
  • Suggestion: set up a station at each POS system (could be 2 or 3). Make signs that say “4 people at a time or keep a 6 foot distance.” Make 6-foot tape marks on the floor to help customers keep a social distance. 
Another example of bar-top seating, at Cornerstone Cigar Bar & Restaurant

We also are watching Williamsburg & Peninsula restaurants post daily on both Peninsula/Wburg/Glo Food To-Go, Curbside Pick Up & Delivery and Williamsburg Eat Local, as well as the business’ Facebook page.  This steady and constant marketing allows them to stay open and pay a skeleton crew but continue to sell food. Even restaurants like Hound’s Tale (meant to be a full-service bar) switched to delivery through Uber Eats or ToGo, only. They also added ToGo cocktails (Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is temporarily allowing ToGo cocktails through his executive order) which you can get delivered to you, curbside, to take home and enjoy! A cocktail, called the Mint Condition (frozen Malibu Pineapple Mojito), was highlighted on social media and is the most requested drink, still!

Don’t stop communicating with your fans, however you face COVID-19! Be creative, Virginia! And do give the business to Burger Bros and Corner Stone Cigar Bar & Restaurant. Hats off to them for their creativity!

Bar-top seating, at Burger Bros

Burger Bros

1719 E Main St, Richmond, VA 23223

HOURS: Sunday – Thursday 11am-12am and Friday & Saturday 11am-2am

Cornerstone Cigar Bar & Restaurant

2053 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA

HOURS: 4pm-1am, daily

Please reach out to us for Alcohol Application Processing – ABC Consulting processes any alcohol licensing for you. You can rest assured that all the documents needed for Virginia ABC approval will be reviewed by our experts before presenting the package to Virginia ABC. Our experts will find and correct any issues before submitting the application to Virginia ABC.  This results in a quicker license approval. You will not be surprised to know that documents needed for approval are not always indicated on applications.  We know what is needed for approval.  We are also the first to know of changes in the approval process. 

Please reach out to us for Seller/Server training – our online training costs only $29.95 and The Operational Alcohol Standards Training (TOAST) of Virginia was developed by Crystal E. Stump, a former Virginia ABC Special Agent and now CEO of ABC Consulting. This training course is presented from the unique perspective of an ABC Special Agent. The program includes in-depth training of the regulations, the ability to spot fake ID’s, managing confrontational situations, and instruction on the various programs operated by VA ABC Authority, including the underage-buyer program. We offer courses specific to wineries, breweries or businesses serving alcohol with Skill Game machines.

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