Best Cocktail Station: Taffer Command Station by Krowne
What’s the best cocktail station? Whether you’re planning a new bar or a remodel, you need to know about Krowne’s new Taffer Command Station. That’s Taffer, as in Jon Taffer – of Bar Rescue fame! When it comes to cocktail stations, there are a few products to consider, as shown above. Selecting the one that’s right for you can be overwhelming. My name is Rick Uzubell, and I’m a professional bar designer. I design bars for clients every day, and have a fiduciary responsibility to help them make critical decisions in all areas of their bars. The selection process includes bar equipment, draft beer systems and finishes. Through my years of experience, I’m here to offer my insight to assist others make some of these same critical choices.
The Definitive Cocktail Station – a Collaboration of Industry Giants
The end-result of meticulous research and development, the Taffer Command Station was innovated through a joint effort of Jon Taffer and industry-leader Krowne. The mission was to establish the standard of excellence – as the ultimate solution in bar efficiency. The idea was conceptualized in 2020, as a solution to exceed the immense output requirements of each Taffer’s Tavern location. Infused with Taffer’s incomparable experience of bar efficiency and profitability and Krowne’s zero-step design philosophy and world-class engineering, the Taffer Command Station is the pinnacle of bar design. Krowne’s cutting-edge technology was utilized to blend augmented reality and their groundbreaking BarFlex3D bar configurator. This enabled the team to stress-test hundreds of cocktail station permutations before deriving the final design.
The bar station, through all new innovative design, empowers the bartender to be in command of service, in command of quality and in command of efficiency. The Taffer Command Station is going to disrupt bar design!
FIGURE 4. PHOTO OF TAFFER COMMAND STATION WITH SODA GUNWHAT IS A COCKTAIL STATION?
The areas inside commercial bars where bartenders prepare drinks are referred to as bartender stations or cocktail stations. The related equipment, known as “underbar stainless steel”, commonly includes ice bins, speed rails, liquor displays, sinks, etc. Bar equipment is selected from manufacturer’s websites and sold through a network of factory reps and distributors. Bar equipment specification sheets are overwhelming to many, which leads inexperienced people to overlook critical components and proper placement. There’s a lot to know. To simplify the buying process, several bar equipment manufacturers developed pre-packaged cocktail stations. This approach makes it easier for novices or DIY’ers to layout their own bar equipment plans. The Taffer Command Station was developed to be the best cocktail station!
The Taffer Command Station – the Pinnacle of Bar Design
Recognizing the limitations of existing pre-packaged stations, Jon Taffer and Krowne joined forces to develop the ultimate cocktail station. Through Taffer’s expert insight and Krowne’s world-class engineering, the Taffer Command Station was born. Not to disappoint, this cocktail station offers near-limitless configurations with Krowne’s cutting-edge equipment, such as its hybrid sink, speed sinks and Matrix freezer.
Which is the best Taffer Station for you? Later in this article, I’ll tell you exactly how to order your own custom Taffer Command Stations!
Frequently Asked Questions about the Taffer Command Station
Is the Taffer Command Station a One-Size-Fits-All?
No, this is not a “one-size-fits-all” cocktail station. One of the primary benefits of the Krowne Taffer Command Station is its inherent customization. Each buyer can configure his/her station by adding, removing or re-sizing its components to meet their needs!
How Many Taffer Stations do I Need?
You need one Taffer cocktail station for each bartender station! However, there are two types of Taffer Command Stations. Most bars only require one hand sink. For bars with multiple cocktail stations, the first station should be the base unit with hybrid sink (which contains a hand sink and a dump sink). Subsequent work stations should utilize the base unit with dump sink (refer to Figure 5, above). Always check with your local health department to see how many hand sinks they require.
Does this Work With the Krowne Modular Bar Die?
Yes. The Taffer bartender station is available with the Krowne KMB modular bar die system or with legs. To learn more about the Krowne modular bar die, please read my article below:
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Does This Save Space?
Absolutely! In fact, you decide which configurations are best for you. As shown in Figure 5 (above), these stations are available in lengths ranging from 66″ to 92″. And it has a ton of features that maximize efficiency and save space in the smallest possible footprint. The Taffer station incorporates an 8” mixology station (traditionally 12” wide), an 8” wide x 5 tier liquor display (traditionally 4 tiers x 12” wide), and our 18″ wide Hybrid combination hand sink/dump sink (traditionally 24” wide). If you need further assistance, call the Krowne sales team at (800) 631-0442.
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- FIGURE 6. BAR PLAN WITH 60″ TAFFER STATION ENABLES THE BARTENDER COMPLETE FREEDOM TO MOVE LATERALLY.
- FIGURE 7. BAR PLAN WITH TOBIN ELLIS STATION, FORCES THE BARTENDER OUT OF THE STATION TO MOVE LATERALLY.
Is There a “Cockpit” Cocktail Station?
Yes – the “cockpit cocktail station” is the “Tobin Ellis Station”, made by Perlick. There’s a big difference between this and the Taffer Command Station. Krowne utilizes the industry-standard 24” front-to-back flush finish, as shown in Figure 6 (above), for maximum side-to-side bartender efficiency. Referring to Figure 7 (above), the Tobin Ellis “Cockpit station” isn’t as efficient because it’s 27 9/16″ deep. Therefore, the bartender is required to step outside the cockpit zone to access other equipment. In other words, the bartender must step outside the cocktail station, instead of simply moving side-to-side.
Soda Gun or no Soda Gun?
From the corner bar to the airport bar, soda guns are in nearly every bar – no matter where one travels. Soda has been the prevalent traditional mixer because of its low operating cost. While pouring from canned soda is very costly, dispensing soda from a handheld gun costs pennies per serving. After all, reduced pour cost results in greater profits. To sweeten the deal, the cost to implement a post mix soda system is virtually free, because syrups vendors such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola provide free equipment and installation in exchange for an ongoing commitment to sell their respective products.
Emerging Trends with Soda Among Bar Owners
When choosing the Taffer Command Station that’s right for you, the first thing you need to decide is whether you desire a soda gun. Lately, I’ve noticed that the soda gun’s popularity among bar owners has begun to wane. More startup bar owners are using soda from a can. Many fine dining restaurants are using elixirs to mix drinks for their bars. While soda systems offer ongoing saving advantages, they can cost upwards of $2,500 to implement if concrete floors need to be cut and patched (costs not covered by syrups vendors). On the other hand, implementing a soda system underbar requires 4-5 lineal feet of extra space, and most small bars don’t it. Besides, storing syrups underbar leads to housekeeping problems and pests. And let’s face it, they’re noisy. Dispensing soda from cans isn’t the end of the world, because you can offset the cost by raising prices.
Which Taffer Command Station Should I Order First?
I personally love all the Taffer Command Stations, and most are shown with a hybrid speed sink or dump sink. By code, every bar is required to have a minimum of one dump sink and one hand sink. Depending on the size of the bar, some are required to have two hand sinks. The Taffer Command Station is available in six standard lengths (three that feature soda and three that don’t). All six feature the Krowne hybrid speed sink. Hence, when it’s time to selecting the first cocktail station, I recommend the length that best fits your application.
- For the first station, I prefer the Krowne Hybrid Speed Sink, which includes both sinks in an 18″ x 24″ footprint. Therefore, the first Taffer Station I always specify is either the KR24-TCS66D (without cold plate) or KR24-TCS70A-10 (with cold plate) – both include the 8″ speed unit.
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How to Order Additional Taffer Units
- After the first station has been selected, I then specify a dump sink for every subsequent Taffer station. This is where things become interesting because Krowne has so many great options for dump sinks.
- For bars with blender stations, Krowne offers five units with built-in dump sinks. However, my favorite dump sinks are found in Krowne’s speed series, which features various option combinations.
- If you need a dipper well and speed rinser, I highly recommend the Krowne KR24-MS14, which packages a dump sink, dipper well and speed rinser in a 14″ x 24″ footprint (see Figure 8, above). This sink reduces the Taffer station to its smallest footprint and eliminates the need for the 8″ speed unit.
Of course, you can mix, match and reorient the components of every Taffer Command Station.
My Takeaway On the Taffer Command Station
The Taffer Command Station is the finest bar station on the market. It was developed as a joint effort between Jon Taffer and Krowne – two of the biggest, most respected names in the bar industry. The product offers nearly-infinite customization and maintains the “Zero-Step” ergonomic operation. I highly recommend the Taffer Command Station for all your cocktail stations.
