Proof Creative offers its invaluable Bartender resource online as Covid lifeline.

Proof & Co's Proof Creative team is putting its renowned bar resource, the 20 Pillar Plan online as a gesture of goodwill for the pandemic ravaged on-premise industry.

Proof Creative is renowned as one of the world’s most awarded drinks agencies and is the bar and beverage consultancy arm of Proof & Company. Since its inception in 2014, Proof Creative has launched more than 100 bar projects. The combined 100 + years of experience of the Proof Creative team running some of Asia Pacific’s most celebrated bars, including Manhattan Bar, Atlas, 28 Hong Kong Street and Charles H, has culminated in developing the 20 Pillar Plan.

Available through the Proof Creative website, the 20 Pillar Plan is designed as a holistic guide to opening and launching a bar. It is created with a layered framework that addresses all angles of the guest experience. For all those looking to open a bar, it offers a solid foundation for success.

It is designed to assist venue development, guide the pre-opening allocation of time and resources and helps firm up the narrative of a bar, something which Proof Creative refers to as the ‘Golden Thread’ woven through all pillars to create a cohesive and compelling bar experience.

As well as a planning tool, the team says it is also helpful to bind stakeholders to a singular vision of what a bar should be.

The agency's decision to share this plan with bartenders, owners and operators worldwide is driven by its modus operandi of providing expertise and support while working in a spirit of community collaboration, particularly as the global bar industry navigates new challenges during the pandemic.

Creative Director of Proof & Company and head of Proof Creative

Jason Williams says, “There is no scientific formula or mathematical equation to creating and launching a great bar, but the 20 Pillar Plan is something we have come up with to best stay on track, avoid concept drift and create a bar concept to which magic can then be added. Bars often have the ideas and the raw talent, but certain aspects can be overlooked; even in the seemingly dry pillars lies the opportunity to be creative and make decisions to further the concept and narrative. We hope this will be a useful tool for those in the industry, to help make better decisions and breed creativity whilst sticking to a brief.”