20-foot front bar · 240″ allocated · west wall · 7 stools
The front bar carries seven equipment slots plus two millwork slots (clean landing and stem storage). The strip below reads west to east as the bartender sees it.
| # | Slot | Allocated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand sink | 12″ | NC code, separate from glass washing |
| 2 | Wine preservation dispenser (whites + rosé) | 30″ | 8-bottle, dual-zone, BTG dispenser |
| 3 | Wine refrigerator — dual zone | 48″ | Backup wine, bottle service stock (both zones to wine) |
| 4 | Ice bin with cold plate | 24″ | Cocktail ice + dump |
| 5 | Glass froster | 24″ | Sparkling and white wine glasses |
| 6 | 3-compartment under-counter sink | 36″ | Realistic minimum is 36″; recovered from Slot 8 |
| 7 | Bar glasswasher (high-temp UC) | 24″ | Stemware Wed–Sat |
| 8 | Open landing for clean racks | 12″ | Millwork, narrowed from 18″ to recover Slot 6 width |
| 9 | Stem storage / under-counter shelving | 24″ | Custom millwork |
NC code requires a dedicated hand-wash sink at the bar, used only for handwashing. The 12″ allocation is tight, so a wall-mount or compact drop-in is the play. Krowne is the standard for behind-the-bar — they make their living building purpose-fit underbar units, and a Krowne hand sink will look right alongside the rest of the underbar gear.
| Model | Krowne HS-1317 |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$285–425 (list) |
| Dimensions | 13″ wide × 17″ front-to-back, 6.4″ deep bowl, 4″ OC deck-mount low-lead faucet |
| Why this one | Drop-in mounts directly into the bar top — cleanest look, integrates with the bar millwork. NSF, low-lead faucet included. 13″ overall fits the 12″ slot with the 1″ of buffer the GC will want for the cutout. |
| Where to buy | RestaurantSupply — Krowne HS-1317 |
Two real options for an 8-bottle, dual-zone, BTG-grade dispenser: the Wineemotion OTTO (purpose-built 8-bottle dual-zone) or two Napa Technology WineStation Pristine Plus units run side-by-side. They serve the same goal — 8 white/rosé positions on argon at temperature with measured pours — but the trade-offs are real.
| Model | OTTO 8-bottle (staff service or self-service options) |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$14,000–18,000 (varies by configuration; dealer quote required) |
| Dimensions | 8 bottles, two fully independent climate zones (42°F–70°F each), front ventilation (no clearance behind), stainless steel, programmable pour sizes including 5oz BTG |
| Why this one | The only true 8-bottle, true-dual-zone unit on the market that fits a 30″-class footprint. Front ventilation means it can sit flush in the bar millwork. Argon-based preservation. This is the right tool if 8-bottle in one box is the goal. |
| Where to buy | Wineemotion USA — OTTO 8-bottle |
| Model | MX4-H3D (Pristine Plus, dual-zone) × 2 |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$5,800–7,200 each → $11,600–14,400 total |
| Dimensions | Each unit ~19⅝″ W × 16″ D × 25½″ H. Two side-by-side = ~39″ — exceeds the 30″ allocation by ~9″. |
| Why this one | Stays in the WineStation ecosystem (same Clean-Pour heads, same argon, same training). 8-week-plus lead time. If you go this way, the GC needs to widen the wine-preservation slot from 30″ to ~40″ — that 9″ comes out of the 48″ wine fridge or the open landing. |
| Where to buy | Wine Carer — WineStation Pristine Plus Dual Zone |
The 48″ dual-zone undercounter is for backup wine and bottle service stock — sealed bottles staged for service. There are exactly two units that do this well at this width: Perlick’s HC48RW (commercial, dual-zone with one fridge-temp and one wine-temp side) and the Perlick HC48WS-style straight wine pair. Perlick is the workhorse here — built in Wisconsin, restaurant-grade, front-venting (so it sits flush against millwork), and the warranty/service network is better than anyone else in this category.
| Model | HC48RW (front-venting, two independent zones) |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$5,800–7,200 (dealer) |
| Dimensions | 48″ W × 24″ D × 34″ H. Zone 1: 34–42°F (refrigerator). Zone 2: 40–65°F (wine). All-stainless interior, full-extension shelves, R600a refrigerant, smart compressor, NSF. |
| Why this one | Genuinely commercial — built for behind-the-bar life. Dual zones mean a 34–42°F side for any cocktail mise/citrus/dairy and a 40–65°F side for wine. Perlick’s smart compressor is quieter than the True equivalent, which matters at a 60-seat bar where guests are 4 feet from the unit. |
| Where to buy | Perlick Store — HC48RW |
Standard underbar ice bin with a cold plate for any soda lines (mostly relevant for the brunch program — cold brew run, sparkling water on draft if added later). Krowne is unambiguously the right brand here — this is exactly what they make.
| Model | 18-24-7 |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | $2,744 (list) · ~$1,950–2,200 (dealer) |
| Dimensions | 24″ W × 22½″ D × 34″ H. 12″ deep stainless bin, full sliding cover, 7-circuit cold plate, 1″ drain, 3″ backsplash. Pre-drilled rivnuts. |
| Why this one | Workhorse 24″ Krowne ice bin sized exactly to the slot, with a 7-circuit cold plate that gives ample soda lines if cold brew on draft, sparkling water, or a soda gun get added later. Silver Series is Krowne’s value line — same construction as the Royal but priced more reasonably. |
| Where to buy | Krowne — Model 18-24-7 · RestaurantSupply listing |
Stemware doesn’t actually need to be frosted for service the way beer mugs do — sparkling and aromatic whites benefit from chilled glassware, but most fine-dining wine programs serve in room-temp stems. The frosters in the front-bar plan effectively become a cold-storage unit for sparkling glasses pre-chilled to 30°F or so, and a buffer for backup chilled glasses on a busy Saturday.
| Model | FR24RT-SS-STK (Quick Ship) |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$3,400–4,200 |
| Dimensions | 24″ W × 24″ D × 34¼″ H. Sliding-door chest. Adjustable −10°F to +10°F. 4.2 cu ft. Capacity: ~90 stems. R-134a, 1/3 HP. |
| Why this one | Industry standard for behind-bar glass frosting. Sliding door (not a swing) so no clearance issues with the bartender’s body in a 4-foot aisle. Front-venting, no rear clearance needed. Door-frame heater prevents condensation. Chest format keeps cold air in when opened. |
| Where to buy | Perlick Store — FR24RT-SS-STK · WebstaurantStore listing |
Real talk on the sizing first. The May 2 session summary suggested narrowing this from 36″ to 30″ by speccing three 10″ bowls instead of three 12″ bowls. After looking at what’s actually available off the shelf, this is harder than it reads.
Standard underbar 3-comp sinks from Krowne start at 36″ overall (the KR24-33C, three 10×14 bowls, no drainboards). True 30″ 3-comps exist but they are typically deck-mount fixtures with shallow bowls — not a real bar workhorse. The cleanest paths are: (a) keep the 36″ Krowne KR24-33C and accept giving up 6″ elsewhere, or (b) custom-fabricate a 30″ 3-comp through a local stainless shop.
Recommendation: Krowne KR24-33C, and recover the 6″ by trimming the open-landing slot from 18″ to 12″ — still adequate for a single rack of clean stems coming off the glasswasher.
| Model | KR24-33C (no drainboards, deck-mount faucet) |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$1,900–2,400 |
| Dimensions | 36″ W × 24″ D × 36½″ H. Three bowls, each 10″ W × 14″ D × 10″ deep (6-gal capacity). Royal Series swing-spout faucet with ceramic cartridge valves included. Stainless legs with thermoplastic feet. NSF, made in USA. |
| Why this one | The smallest commercial-grade 3-comp underbar sink that exists in catalog. Real 10″-deep bowls handle cocktail shakers, mixing glasses, and dump duty. Reallocate the saved 6″ by shrinking the open-landing slot from 18″ to 12″. |
| Where to buy | RestaurantSupply — Krowne KR24-33C |
The May 2 session locked in the spec: 24″ undercounter, high-temp sanitizing, ~350 glasses/hour minimum. CMA Dishmachines is the value pick in this category — purpose-built glasswashers, made in the US, the Energy Mizer line is a fixture in bars across the country. The two CMA models below are functionally similar with one key difference: one needs a hot-water hookup, the other has a built-in heat-recovery system that runs on cold water only.
| Model | 181GW (hot-water sanitize, 180°F final rinse) |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$3,800–4,800 |
| Dimensions | 24″ W × 25″ D × 39″ H. 30 racks/hour (~600 glasses/hr). Built-in Safe-T-Temp booster heater (70°F rise). Standard 19¾″ × 19¾″ rack. ENERGY STAR, NSF, cULus. Requires hot water hookup. |
| Why this one | The standard CMA bar glasswasher. 30 racks/hour is 4–5× peak Saturday demand at Cacao Cellars, so it never bottlenecks. Built-in booster means no separate booster heater plumbing. Gravity drain. Top-mounted controls so loading is bartender-natural. |
| Where to buy | RestaurantSupply — CMA 181GW |
| Model | 181VL (cold-water-only hookup, heat recovery, 180°F final rinse) |
|---|---|
| Price (est.) | ~$5,600–6,800 |
| Dimensions | 24″ W × 27″ D × 33⅜″ H. 20 racks/hour. Built-in Safe-T-Temp booster, heat recovery system, requires only cold water hookup. Pump drain. |
| Why this one | Same machine but adds heat recovery and runs on cold-water hookup only — so if the GC says running a hot-water line to the bar is a $4,000 plumbing problem, this is the dodge. Trade-offs: pricier, slower (20 racks/hr instead of 30), and slightly deeper. |
| Where to buy | Bar Products — CMA 181VL |
Pricing here is the recommended option only, at dealer-discounted ranges. Total assumes every recommended pick.
| # | Slot | Recommended product | Est. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand sink | Krowne HS-1317 drop-in | $285–425 |
| 2 | Wine preservation (8-bottle, dual zone) | Wineemotion OTTO 8-bottle | $14,000–18,000 |
| 3 | Wine refrigerator (48″ dual zone) | Perlick HC48RW | $5,800–7,200 |
| 4 | Ice bin with cold plate | Krowne 18-24-7 | $1,950–2,200 |
| 5 | Glass froster | Perlick FR24RT-SS-STK | $3,400–4,200 |
| 6 | 3-comp underbar sink | Krowne KR24-33C (36″) | $1,900–2,400 |
| 7 | Bar glasswasher | CMA-181GW high-temp | $3,800–4,800 |
| Subtotal (low–high) | $31,135–39,225 | ||
$31K–39K for the front bar fits comfortably inside the $53K–79K bar-equipment line in Vol. II §12, leaving room for the back-bar fitments and the cocktail/glassware smallwares.
For the back bar (coffee station, hot water, induction burner, pastry slab, reach-ins), see Back Bar — Equipment. For the May 11 slot-by-slot review against the NOVUS BOH layout, see Front & Back Bar Review. For the wine preservation comparison, see Wine Preservation System. For the wine program, see Wine.
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