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Inside The Rabbithole - Vor und hinter der Bar Podcast
Folge 12 - Alex Kratena Part II: Service, Systems & the Fire at Tayēr + Elementary

Folge 12 - Alex Kratena Part II: Service, Systems & the Fire at Tayēr + Elementary

Inside The Rabbithole - Vor und hinter der Bar vor 4 Wochen

0:00

50:18

This episode is in English. Part 2 of 2.

In the second half of our conversation with Alex Kratena, we move
from the idea of a bar to what makes it work every night:
location, neighbourhood, service, speed, systems — and the small
details guests remember.

Alex talks about why Tayēr + Elementary belongs exactly where it
is in East London, how communities shape bars, what makes
London’s bar scene different, why fast drinks are not the same as
simple drinks, and how the Tayēr system developed together with
Behind Bars.

We also get into cocktail R&D, changing trends, local
identity and why bars around the world can sometimes start to
look — and taste — increasingly similar.

Then the conversation changes. Alex speaks about the fire that
forced Tayēr + Elementary to close in May 2026, what he learned
about insurance, how the team kept working, and what it feels
like when a place that has become part of your identity suddenly
isn’t accessible anymore.

And finally: what does success look like when your bar can run
perfectly without you?

Recorded on 11 August 2026 at Tailormade in Hamburg.

Note: The comments about the closure and possible reopening of
Tayēr + Elementary reflect the information available at the time
of recording.

00:00 East London, Islington and choosing
the location

03:58 How neighbourhoods shape bars

07:27 What makes London’s bar scene
different

11:01 Independent bars, ownership and who
should build them

16:41 Remembering guests and reading the
room

20:49 Speed, service and the setup behind
it

26:09 Building the Tayēr system with Behind
Bars

30:19 When is a cocktail actually finished?

35:19 Trends, local identity and why bars
start to look alike

37:38 The fire at Tayēr + Elementary

41:00 Insurance, risk and keeping the team
working

47:23 Can the bar run perfectly without
you?