Minibar, a new concept that recently opened in Amsterdam that offers a solution to the frustrations of ordering a drink at a crowded bar. The owners did away with the bartender all together and instead allow customers to serve themselves from one of 45 private mini-bars. They wanted the experience to be more like inviting your friends to hang out in a hip hotel room, than standing in line waiting for a drink at a regular bar.
Once inside, you check in with the concierge, they give you a key to your own fridge and then you serve yourself. A credit card or ID card left at the front desk is reclaimed after payment of the tab. The interior was designed by Amsterdam firm Concrete who made the wall of mini-bars the focal point of the space. The alcohol may be separated, but within the interior Concrete wanted the seating to encourage conversation and interaction. A long stepped sofa provides seating for separate groups of people while still keeping the space open.
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cool place, carl craig played there last week….serious…
April 6th, 2009 at 4:57 am
This is a great concept, and will complement the many self-serving food shops that are around Amsterdam where bar-goers usually end up after last call!
mp/m
April 6th, 2009 at 9:25 am
i like this idea!
April 6th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Sorry, this isn’t a totally new concept. Dan’s Bar in DC has been doing “self-serving/self-mixing” for decades. Of course, Dan’s is a dive bar, so it’s much dirtier and not nearly as swanky as Minibar.
April 6th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Dan’s isn’t self serve they just serve you a mass quantity of alcohol for cheap.
April 7th, 2009 at 7:59 am
seems like it might take a while to cash out your tab the bartender has to go back to where you were sitting and check the fridge you were at.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Not necessarily, they could easily be like hotel minibars that gauge what you bought by the weight difference. or just by simple infrared sensors.
April 7th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I like the idea however I wonder how something like this would go over in the U.S. What are the ramifications of not having a server “red flag” someone when they are drinking too much? Or is it still possible that someone can red flag you? Unfortunately, I imagine that there are so many legal issues that would arise here in the U.S that you wouldn’t be able to financially put a place like that here.
April 7th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
what a waste of packaging
April 8th, 2009 at 12:19 am
@ To TSD
That might be, but here in Holland we have a smaller douchebag-population, so that’s not really that big a problem. I’m sure they have thought of that and come up with a solution though. ;)
Maybe there’s a bouncer that walks his round and picks out the people who are acting like retards?
April 9th, 2009 at 5:55 am
There was another place like that, but they do the same with real palm trees. Check it out!
April 9th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Sorry about the previous comment, hopefully it can be deleted..lol…There was another place like that, but they do the same with real palm trees. Check it out!
April 9th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
i know concrete
and theres nothing original about these guys
just a bunch of people sooooooooooo full of them selves
when are they gonna learn
April 9th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
I have been to this place. There are people on the other side of the minibars who restock your fridge, and I guess they keep count. It was kind of surreal to see an arm putting back a beverage tho…
Not sure if this is going to work. Not sure if it’s more than a novelty conceptbar… Also, as tsd was saying, it’s difficult to keep tabs on drunkeness of the patrons. When I was there, on a thursday, there was no bouncer, but there might be on weekends? Then again, if someone gets too drunk and misbehaves, they staff always has at least one passport, so that might be an incentive for people to be civil (apart from obvious reasons).
April 11th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
krab, thanks for the first hand report.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Sure everyone is probably too wrecked to cause trouble.It is Amsterdam like.I think it’s a novel idea.Would’nt work in Finglas though.Place would be wrecked.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
What a boring idea. Bartenders add so much to the bar: mixed drinks, conversation, and recommendations. People are not just things.
If you’re going out to have a unique experience there has to be more than just beer and nice wallpaper. What’s so fun about drinking inside a glorified liquor store?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
….All I can see in the fridges are beers. A beer takes a good bartender 3 seconds to get. The idea that those people are going to get their beer any faster without a bartender is actually pretty ridiculous. Most people wait in bars because people order Martinis, Margaritas, Mojitos, Bloody Mary’s. These all take time to make, especially if they are made right. But whatever, I hope those people enjoy drinking in their lame beer bar.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Or is it just a cunning way using a flaw in Dutch legislation to allow smoking in this bar? This law is based on the right of people to a smoke free working environment? Obviously, nobody works in this room, so smoking could be allowed. By the way, the Dutch are not in the top 10 of countries with the highest alcohol consumption or violent crime. They’re well below the US and EU average. Dutch people mostly behave civilised. I noticed some prejudice probably by people who’ve never been here.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:47 pm
what a lame idea , why dispense with bar tenders ??? who else will tell if people are over the limit to be served. Oh that’s right , this is situated in one of those area’s where people KNOW that they’ve had enough and leave of their own accord, without being assholes the other patrons. By the way where is this place?? having traveled the world and been to bars everywhere i haven’t been to this utopia ?
May 1st, 2009 at 6:55 am