Pubs are one of the quickest growing amenity spaces in senior living communities and can be a deal breaker for many prospective residents, according to speakers at the 2020 Environments for Aging Virtual Conference, held June 1-2.

Pubs were rare 15 years ago, but shifting generational norms have made pubs more popular with today’s residents entering continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). During the session “Gin Joints, Tap Rooms, Taverns, and Pubs,” speakers Quinn DeMenna, project manager at Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., Schelley Hollyday, principal at The Hollyday Group, and Keith Grady, executive director at Applewood Estates CCRC, addressed how this new trend is impacting design and space requirements, as well as an licensing and safety elements that need to be considered.

Currently, 65 percent of retirement communities have alcoholic beverage licenses or are in the process of obtaining one; over 50 percent have a cocktail lounge, pub, or tap room; 50 percent of retirement communities allow residents to bring their own; and 95 percent are serving complimentary alcoholic beverages on occasion with meals or during a special event, according to Hollyday. “There’s a good margin on alcoholic beverage sales,” she said. “Revenue margin sales can exceed 75 percent.”

Grady added that the 30-year old Applewood Estates CCRC is implementing a bar concept in several phases to appeal to both current and future residents. “We believe this plan is right for Applewood,” he said.

Bar design and seating is one consideration that need to be made in the design, according to DeMenna. “Each bar height also has a different way of making us feel while seated at a bar.  The purpose of a bar is to support the socialization needs of the community. There is no one size that fits all communities. A table-height bar is obviously the easiest for a frail resident to navigate and there does not need to be any other accommodation to satisfy residents in wheelchairs but results in an awkward eye-to-eye relationship between the resident and the bartender. In this design it is best to have a deep counter and upper level counter to create enough distance so that the bar server does not feel like they are uncomfortably towering over the seated resident,” says DeMenna.

DeMenna says there a lot of debate about seating heights, particularly when creating a venue for older residents. For example, the 42-inch bar height is what most people associate with the general market-place full-service bar, putting the patron and the bar tender at the same eye level, according to DeMenna. “It’s also a comfortable height when another resident walks up from behind and joins in the conversation with the seated resident. Attention needs to be paid to where the resident will rest their feet so that their feet aren’t dangling or balancing them dangerously on a chair rung. ”

In addition to design challenges, organizations will also have to deal with securing an appropriate license or licenses, which can include beer and wine, spirits, and brown bag, which are obtained from the governing municipality and can vary not only from state to state, but from town to town. A license can range in price from $500 to over $400,000 depending on state and availability. Some states classify retirement communities as private clubs, which can reduce the cost of the license, Hollyday said.

Another more recent concern is COVID-19 restrictions, which can impact pub design and operations. For example, Hollyday said organizations need to think about supporting social distancing with the removal and spacing of tables and bar stools, implementing a table waitlist or reservation system, covering drinks and using straws, and using single-use printed menus.

Missed the live EFA Virtual Conference event? On-demand access to the conference, including 11 CEU sessions, is available at efamagazine.com/efa-virtual-conference.