BY DESIGN: Service Bar in NW, DC
I’m starting a series called, “by design.”
The content will focus on one reason - at most two - why I think a specific feature of a product or physical space is a thoughtful design choice.
Service Bar on U Street NW, DC is loved and revered by many. Their accolades as an outstanding bar make perfect sense. Firstly, the food is fantastic: their fried chicken, the real star of the show, always has the right amount of crisp and crunch, and the food menu is refreshingly simple. Secondly, not only are the drinks dangerously good, but their drink menu, no matter the cycle, always feels like a rich, adventure story (i.e. thoughtful ingredients and drink names, thematic pages and color story, etc.). And I love that. I love when food (or in this case, drink) is an active, forefront participant in the world building of a bar/resturant concept.
So I’ve always thought Service Bar on U St as being a great bar - but this past week, I had the pleasure of revisiting with a friend after an NBA playoff game.
We sat at bar seating, and perhaps I never noticed this before, but there were dry erase markers available for guests to use and draw on the metal bar counter... and I thought that was a brilliant design choice.
I think humans build emotional connections with their environment best through physical objects (i.e. transcending from seeing to feeling - via all senses: taste, touch, etc.), and I thought it was a simple and effective way for guests to do that. It also allows guests to personalize their experience at the bar and believe they’re leaving a contribution to “the world of Service Bar,” long after they physically leave the space, and perhaps the next guests may have lingering thoughts and questions about who the previous guests could be.... in literary terms, ultimately creating a great epic.
I’m starting a series called, “by design.”
The content will focus on one reason - at most two - why I think a specific feature of a product or physical space is a thoughtful design choice.
Service Bar on U Street NW, DC is loved and revered by many. Their accolades as an outstanding bar make perfect sense. Firstly, the food is fantastic: their fried chicken, the real star of the show, always has the right amount of crisp and crunch, and the food menu is refreshingly simple. Secondly, not only are the drinks dangerously good, but their drink menu, no matter the cycle, always feels like a rich, adventure story (i.e. thoughtful ingredients and drink names, thematic pages and color story, etc.). And I love that. I love when food (or in this case, drink) is an active, forefront participant in the world building of a bar/resturant concept.
So I’ve always thought Service Bar on U St as being a great bar - but this past week, I had the pleasure of revisiting with a friend after an NBA playoff game.
We sat at bar seating, and perhaps I never noticed this before, but there were dry erase markers available for guests to use and draw on the metal bar counter... and I thought that was a brilliant design choice.
I think humans build emotional connections with their environment best through physical objects (i.e. transcending from seeing to feeling - via all senses: taste, touch, etc.), and I thought it was a simple and effective way for guests to do that. It also allows guests to personalize their experience at the bar and believe they’re leaving a contribution to “the world of Service Bar,” long after they physically leave the space, and perhaps the next guests may have lingering thoughts and questions about who the previous guests could be.... in literary terms, ultimately creating a great epic.
Written: Monday, May 27, 2024