Custom zinc bar tops · Zinc, brass & copper
Zinc Bar Tops, Built Around Your Design
Real zinc. Real curves. A bar top that gets better every night it’s in service.
01
What is a living zinc bar top?
A zinc bar top is a counter surfaced in zinc, the same metal that topped Paris bistro bars so often that the French still call a café “le zinc.” It’s a living metal. It isn’t sealed under a plastic-looking coat. It reacts to hands, glasses, citrus and time, and slowly turns a soft blue-gray with its own history written into it.
Want the backstory? Read What Is a Zinc Bar? The History of the Zinc Bar Top.
Before: the bar we replaced02
Real metal over a waterproof core
Here’s what makes ours different: we’re designers who started an automated manufacturing studio. We wanted access to living metals in shapes sheet metal simply can’t make, so we built the way to do it.
Every 3 Spark top is a real jacket of zinc over a waterproof core. You get the look and patina of a classic zinc bar on a body built for a modern commercial bar, with no wood core waiting to swell, and a top that’s up to 40% lighter than others. The same build goes into our zinc countertops for host stands, café counters and reception desks.
03
Custom geometry and edge profiles
Most zinc bars are boxes, because flat sheet only bends so far. Ours don’t have to be. Curves, serpentine runs, radiused corners, drink rails and stepped profiles are all on the table, in real metal.
Start with the edge. It sets the feel of the whole bar, from a crisp chamfer to a deep, generous bullnose roll. Ogee, cove, beaded and larger sculpted profiles all work on curves too.
- Edge profiles: our standard library of countertop edges, from clean and modern to classic bistro.
- Large edge profiles: bigger, more sculptural profiles for statement bars and drink rails.
- Your own profile: send us a section drawing and we cut tooling to match. At Restaurant François in Austin, we resized one of our profiles to fit the bar’s exact height. At the Carousel Bar, we created a custom edge profile for a New Orleans icon.
Drawn in CAD, made to fit
Stepped
Pillowed
Egg-and-dart, curved
04
Patina and care
A living zinc top starts bright and silvery, then darkens and softens over weeks and months. Water rings, fingerprints and lemon wedges all leave marks at first. Over time those marks blend into an even, lived-in patina. That’s the charm, not a defect.
- Everyday: warm water, mild dish soap and a soft cloth, then dry.
- Skip: bleach, ammonia and harsh abrasives.
- Want it to change slower? A carnauba wax slows the patina and makes spills easier to wipe. Unwaxed, the surface ages faster.
- Spot marks: blend them with a fine pad. Want it brighter? A light polish brings back the shine. Want it darker? Just let it live.
Curious how it ages? See Zinc Patina: How Zinc Countertops Age, our guide to living metals, or download the Care Sheet (PDF).
05
Proven in some of the busiest bars around
Hotel Monteleone, Carousel Bar, New Orleans
A new zinc top and custom edge for one of America’s most famous bars, built around the hotel’s schedule.
See the project →
Black Tap, JFK Terminal 8
A long zinc run with the designers’ exact stepped edge, delivered into an airport terminal.
See the project →
Uptown Social, Charleston
A failing bar replaced with a zinc top, pillowed edge, flip gate, drink rail and round copper tables.
See the project →
Restaurant François, Austin
Custom curved zinc edge trim, sized to the bar.
See the project →
Specialty projects
A suspended crown at Faena Miami Beach, bar carts for Rémy Martin, and brass-in-oak tables for Sip & Guzzle.
See the project →06
How it works
- 01
Talk
Book a 15-minute call and tell us about the space, the shape and the feel you’re after.
- 02
Design
Send drawings (or a sketch). We work out the geometry, edge and metal with you, and you sign off on shop drawings.
- 03
Sample
See and touch the finish before anything gets made.
- 04
Make
Your top is built in our automated studio as real metal over a waterproof core.
- 05
Deliver and install
We ship it crated and ready to set, with install guidance for your team or contractor.
07
Specs at a glance
Every top is a fully custom product. These are our typical numbers, and we’ll tune them to your drawings.
Fully custom: every dimension can be tweaked within the limits of structural sanity.
Spec sheets, the care sheet and our warranty are on Resources.
Questions
Zinc bar top FAQ
What is a zinc bar top?
A commercial or residential bar counter surfaced in zinc, a living metal that patinas to a soft blue-gray over time. It’s the classic Parisian bistro bar, which is why French cafés are nicknamed “le zinc.” Custom tops can follow curved plans and molded edges drawn by the designer.
Is your zinc bar top solid metal?
It’s a real jacket of zinc over a waterproof core. You get real metal everywhere you touch it and a stable, waterproof body underneath, with no wood core to swell or rot. It’s also up to 40% lighter than others, which makes handling and installation easier on site.
Can you make a curved zinc bar top?
Yes, and it’s what we love most. Curves, serpentine runs, radiused corners and complex edge profiles are exactly why we built our studio.
What edge shapes are possible?
Bullnose, ogee, cove, beaded and chamfered edges, plus larger sculpted profiles, including on curves. Send a section drawing and we cut tooling to match. See our edges and large edges, then compare built examples on our projects.
Is zinc the only metal option?
No. The same profiles are available in zinc, brass and copper, each with its own living patina. Zinc trends blue-gray, brass warms toward gold-brown, and copper deepens to rich browns and reds. Request samples to compare them in hand, or read what a living-metal bar top is.
How do care and patina work on a zinc bar top?
Zinc doesn’t rust, it patinas. Clean with warm water, mild dish soap and a soft cloth, then dry, and skip bleach, ammonia and harsh abrasives. A carnauba wax slows the patina and makes spills easier to wipe; unwaxed, the surface ages faster. Patina is natural change in living metal, not a defect, and it’s covered in that spirit by our Limited One-Year Warranty.
How is a zinc bar top installed?
Tops arrive crated, in sections of up to 10 ft for handling. Because they’re up to 40% lighter than others, most pieces can be set by a two-person crew. On larger jobs we offer a delivered and coordinated install, as at Black Tap JFK Terminal 8.
What should a designer put on the drawings?
Specify metal and finish, the edge profile with a dimensioned section, plan radius or curve notes, joint locations, sink or tap cutouts, and indoor or outdoor use. Call out sample approval before production so the patina level matches the intent of the room. Our Drawing Guide (PDF) walks through it. If the bar die is already built and the shape is tricky to draw, our Templating Guide (PDF) shows how to make a hard template. CAD still comes first.
Let’s build your bar.
Bring a drawing, a photo or just an idea. We’ll tell you what’s possible.