Bar Tap makes its debut at Wembley Stadium

Global branding, interior design and architecture specialist, Harrison, worked with Delaware North – a global leader in hospitality and food service management – to design a state-of-the-art bar at Wembley Stadium. Bar Tap, which first opened to customers for the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday, is a new frictionless bar that allows shoppers to purchase drinks quickly and conveniently. This is the first time a national stadium in Europe has introduced a frictionless retail service.

Bar Tap has been created to improve speed-of-service and reduce the need for fans and visitors to stand in line in order to purchase refreshments. Situated on level one, customers simply use their credit/debit card or contactless payment device on entry, pick up their purchase, and leave. The technology used tracks customer movements to calculate what they have purchased.

Delaware North, foodservice partner to Wembley Stadium, has led Bar Tap from conception to implementation with Harrison.

Lewis Blake, Head of Concessions for Delaware North at Wembley Stadium, said:

The concessions team at Wembley Stadium have delivered something truly revolutionary with Bar Tap. The frictionless technology used means that fans can shop, pay, and get back to the action in a matter of seconds.

The design vision of Bar Tap was established with a clear directive, with the team at Harrison drawing inspiration from the essence and ethos of Wembley Stadium, encapsulated by the mantra ‘Louder, Prouder, Forever.’ The rich sporting history and heritage needed to be emphasised through the aesthetics, while at the same time they wanted Bar Tap to deliver a fresh and energetic look. Bold neon signage and clean LEDs are front and centre, while sturdy elements such as stainless steel, metal mesh, and industrial resin flooring with a refreshing colour palette have resulted in a durable yet iconic design.

Ionut Mateas, Interior Designer at Harrison, said:

The mission of creating Bar Tap extended beyond crafting a mere design scheme; it involved creating an identity that seamlessly integrates with the exhilarating atmosphere of Wembley.

Within the confines of a compact space and a well-defined directive, we embraced the potential of A.I. to create a distinctive vision. However, we knew the space needed to be functional as well as looking good. Clear arrows and graphics incorporated throughout the design have crafted an intuitive, swift, and seamless experience for visitors.

Going beyond that, we wanted to continue this futuristic feel which comes with A.I. technology, so to distract from the open back of house kitchen, we fashioned a background mural wall design which essentially hides the pints being hand-poured while seamlessly resonating with the Wembley energy and adding another layer to the Bar Tap brand identity.

Bar Tap will host an influx of people over the coming months, as Wembley Stadium hosts the UEFA Champions League Final for a record eighth time, alongside 20 other major sporting events such as the Emirates FA Cup semi-finals and final, the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final and NFL football with Jacksonville Jaguars. Wembley Stadium will also see superstar Taylor Swift perfect a record-breaking eight night run, as well as welcome rock superstars AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and Green Day.

Sports Venue Business (SVB) has unveiled a raft of new offerings for 2024 under the SVB LIVE banner, including Global Networking Events and a Webinar Series, culminating in an Annual Conference & Exhibition – to be held at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, on October 9th and 10th – with an Expert Group helping to shape the conversation. We have also launched the exclusive, subscription-only ‘SVB Global Report’, outlining New Builds, Renovations & Major Refurbishments.

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