Opening a Taproom or Beer Bar, Part 1: Concept, Licensing, Layout, Menu, Staff
Updated September 2026 by Brad Lugar, owner of Steel City Tap Co., Birmingham, AL.
Quick answer: Open a bar in this order: concept, then location, then licensing, then draft system design, then build, then menu, then staff. Most first time owners do it backwards, sign a lease, then discover the license takes months and the draft tower has to go where the walls already are. Get the sequence right and the rest is execution.
We are a tap handle and brewery branding shop in Birmingham, AL. We are not bar consultants, but we outfit a lot of new taprooms, and we watch the same mistakes repeat. This two part guide is the order we would open one in. Part 2 covers the draft system, the branding kit, and opening week.
1. Concept before anything
Decide what the bar is in one sentence. "Twelve rotating craft taps and a short food menu in a neighborhood that does not have one." "A brewery taproom that pours our beer and nothing else." "A sports bar with domestic lagers and forty screens." Every decision after this, from the lease to the tap count to the glassware, comes from that sentence. If you cannot write it, you are not ready to sign anything.
2. Location, with the concept in hand
Foot traffic, parking, and neighbors matter, but the physical questions cost more when you get them wrong: Is there room for a walk-in cooler near where the tower will go? Can a keg delivery get from the truck to the cooler without stairs? Is there a grease trap if food is in the plan? A cheap lease on a space that needs a $40,000 cooler build is not a cheap lease.
3. Licensing before build
Alcohol licensing runs through your state ABC board and your city, and the timeline is months, not weeks. Some jurisdictions require the space to be built out before they inspect, some require the license before you can pour a drop for a soft opening. Find out which applies to you before you set an opening date. A finished bar sitting dark for 90 days waiting on a license is the most expensive mistake on this list.
4. Design the draft system before the drywall
This is the one nobody tells you. The draft system decides where the walk-in goes, where the tower goes, how long the lines run, and whether you need glycol. All of that has to be in the plans before the framing goes up. Bring in a draft installer at the design stage, not after the bar top is set. Part 2 covers the system itself.
5. Layout
The bar top is the sales floor. Customers should see the tap wall from the door and read the handles from their seat. Put the tower where the room faces it, not in a corner. Leave room behind the bar for two people to pass. Put the glass washer within reach of the taps.
6. Menu
Tap count comes from the concept and the math (about 124 pints per half barrel, kick it in two to three weeks). Cover the styles before you go deep in one. Add a cider or seltzer for the non beer drinker, a couple of wines, and a short spirits list. If food is in the plan, keep it short enough that one cook can run it on a Tuesday.
7. Staff
Hire bartenders who can describe a beer in one sentence and pour a proper head. Train them on line cleaning day one; it is their job, not the brewery's. A good opening manager who has opened a bar before is worth more than any piece of equipment on this list.
Continue with Part 2: draft system, branding kit, and opening week. And when you get to the tap wall, we make the handles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first step to opening a bar?
A one sentence concept. Location, license, draft system, menu, and staff all follow from it. Signing a lease before the concept is the most common and most expensive mistake.
How long does a liquor license take?
Months, and it varies by state and city. Some jurisdictions inspect the finished space before issuing the license. Find out the sequence in your city before you set an opening date.
When should you design the draft system?
Before the walls go up. The walk-in, tower location, line runs, and glycol decision all have to be in the construction plans. Bring in a draft installer at the design stage.
How many taps should a new bar open with?
As many as it can kick in two to three weeks each, usually 8 to 12 for a neighborhood bar. Cover the styles first, then add depth.
Do you need a food menu to open a bar?
It depends on your state and license class. Some licenses require food service. Check the license type before you plan the kitchen, and keep the menu short enough for one cook.