Every day, about 2.7 million airline passengers pass through U.S. airports. After hours of travel spent seat-belted into noisy, cramped airplane compartments many of them flock to the oasis of airport lounges where they can stretch out in comfy chairs and enjoy the peace, quiet and peanuts. Lounge amenities include everything passengers need to relax or get some work done. Most facilities offer unlimited snacks, open bars, computers, free WiFi, desks with plugs and airline agents at the ready to make changes to a passenger’s next flight. Some even include added perks like juice bars and showers.
But airport lounges don’t just benefit travelers. These spaces also help airports become more competitive, retain airlines, and increase revenue.
Mile High Standards
If you’re a restaurant or airport lounge designer, owner or developer you also know that lounges must meet high sanitary design standards. News headlines are full of stories of people becoming ill from contaminated food. It’s often the result of poor food preparation or inadequate sanitary practices like poorly designed food equipment. And it only takes one mistake to allow contamination to spread and ruin a business’s reputation.
To avoid any issues, all airport lounges should aim to meet the core principles of sanitary equipment design. These include (but are not limited to) the following guidelines:
- Making microbiological cleansing possible
- Using compatible materials throughout a factory
- Being able to access every part of a plant (and equipment) for cleaning
- Stopping the build-up of condensation on machinery
- Sealing off any crevices or hollow areas
- Creating cleaning standards for all workers to follow
The Fast Track to Approval
Generally, all airport lounge bars and equipment must be approved by the FDA. However, you can skip to the front of the line, and skip this process, if your lounge already contains NSF-Certified equipment. The NSF International certification is the most specified certification and the most recognized mark in the industry. NSF certification assures acceptance by U.S. state and local regulatory agencies and includes global recognition of the NSF mark. It signifies to customers and regulators that your products are certified to the industry’s highest standards and meet all applicable North American regulatory requirements.
Adding a new permanent bar often means you’ll have to complete a lengthy building permit process. But, since they’re designed to be temporary, portable bars don’t require these permits, saving your business time and money!
We Made it Easy: Your New NSF-Approved Portable Flash Bar
Purchasing a bar that’s portable and NSF-Certified is a great way to simplify your airport lounge project. The NSF-Certified Flash Bar from The Portable Bar Company is not only NSF-Certified, it’s also modular so you can design it to fit your space and set it up, reconfigure it or take it down in minutes. Use it as one larger bar or divide it into smaller bars. As your business needs change you can easily add new segments at a later date.
Optional accessories for the NSF-Certified flash bar are also NSF-Certified. Choose from two styles of NSF/ANSI 372 Certified sinks: single basin or 4 basin. Add NSF-Certified ice bins and speed rails which are popular, productivity-increasing features forbartenders. Crafted from sleek, durable stainless steel the NSF-Certified Flash Bar also includes an optional LED kit with 8 color settings that make the bar glow. Even better, since we’re an Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE), your business may be eligible for federal and state tax breaks if you purchase products from The Portable Bar Company. Stylish, versatile and NSF-Certified, this bar is exactly what your airport lounge needs!
Call us today at 877-959-4682 to design your custom NSF-Certified Flash Bar.