How Hong Kong cocktail bars design for service, ergonomics and success

“You can tell in about 30 seconds whether a bar was designed by someone who’s worked a busy shift or by someone who drew a nice picture,” says Nikita Matveev. Ask mixologists what they notice when they walk into a bar, and they won’t mention the menu or the mood board. Matveev, head bartender of Dead Poets and The Old Man, counts the steps – how far bartenders must reach for ice, trash and stock, and whether they’re bumping into each other. Lorenzo Antinori sees light first: how it falls on the...