Do we really want to turn back the rebirth of the ice cream cocktail?

Do we really want them to go away?

Every two years, the National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers gathers for The NAFEM Show. It's one of the best opportunities for food and beverage operators to come together and discover new innovations that can help make their establishments more efficient and profitable.

Over the course of time, all designs change. From the clandestine days of the speakeasy to operations built to create Instagrammable cocktails, bar designs have changed, too. So if we know designs have always changed, it's safe to assume they will continue to change in the future.

An effective design is the balance of form and function. In bars and restaurants, maintaining that balance can result in an incredible experience for both employees and guests.

Recently, Perlick sat down with restaurant development + design to discuss a number of topics related to bar equipment and design. You can view the full Q&A in rd+d’s current issue. Here are some of the highlights:

Sustainability – you hear that a lot these days. From farm-to-table menus in restaurants to the elimination of plastic straws in coffee shops, achieving sustainability and eliminating food waste is a common foodservice trend year after year. While reducing food waste makes sense back in the kitchen, what about reducing cocktail waste with sustainable cocktails?

Every few years, we seem to have a new conversation about the nuances of the next generation. Well, it's time to have that talk again here in 2018 as we examine Gen Z.

How do you build a more profitable bar? How can you create a bar and beverage setup that is more efficient, more appealing to customers, and easier on the staff? What do operators need to think about before they design their bars or before renovating them?

For many sports fans, October is arguably the best month of the year. The football season is in full swing, basketball and hockey start back up, and playoff baseball has entire cities worked into a frenzy. We know that postseason baseball means packed stadiums on crisp autumn nights, seas of rally towels waving in unison, and cold beer keeping fans satisfied, no matter the score.

And Perlick knows playoff baseball. That's because Perlick beer systems are pouring and storing baseball fans' favorite beverages throughout the postseason.

The history of baseball and beer goes back well over a century. Today, baseball stadiums have expanded their offerings to wine, liquor, and dozens upon dozens of craft beer options.

We all do it. In the morning on the way to work, we stop in our favorite coffee shop for that jolt of caffeine. At the end of the day, we meet up with friends for happy hour or a post-dinner cocktail at a local bar.

Now, what if we could do both at the same bar? It’s a question that some bar operators are answering with a profitable trend – the coffee-to-cocktail bar hybrid.