Case Study: Lift Gate Assistant for Restaurant Design

Restaurants and bars across the globe are starting to rethink the ergonomic design of their eating and social spaces to make them more accessible for employees and customers alike. Part of this remodeling includes considering motion control hinges for easier movement of cabinets, doors, and other appliances.  King’s Fish House has been redesigning its seafood houses to incorporate flip-up bar counters. The Lift Gate Assistant motion control hinge caught King’s Fish House’s eye at the Weber Knapp booth at the National Restaurant Association trade show, and we quickly began working together to integrate the bar countertop hinges into their designs.
motion control design guide

Enter the Weber Knapp Lift Gate Assistant

Weber Knapp has been experimenting and implementing counterbalance and motion control solutions for 100+ years. Recently, Weber Knapp has been working with its patented Vectis technology to develop more efficient counterbalance hinges for everything from kitchen pass-through countertops to grill and BBQ smoker lid stays. 

When King’s Fish House came to us with the idea of its lifting bar design, Weber Knapp was able to provide a Vectis solution for their project. The Lift Gate Assistant integrated nicely into King’s Fish House’s restaurants, adding not only a cool design element, but also improving employee experience. 

Why Add a Lift Gate Assistant to Your Restaurant Interior Design?

A lift gate can greatly increase the maneuverability of the workplace. Instead of walking around the stationary corner bar, busy employees can now use the countertop pass-through to get to their destination faster. 

For servers or bartenders taking food and drink orders onto the restaurant floor, being able to lift up the flip-up bar counter with one hand, or even a knee, is important. That’s why the Lift Gate Assistant employs Vectis technology to make lifting the bar easy, quick, and safe. 

For restaurants or other food establishments, having motion control technology increases efficiency and reduces the amount of time spent lifting up the bar, pushing cabinet doors closed, or holding open doors.

King’s Fish House recognized that the Lift Gate Assistant was an opportunity to decrease workplace traffic congestion as well as reduce workplace injuries related to violently falling hinged countertops. 

The Results so Far

So far the Lift Gate Assistant-integrated bars in three of King’s Fish House’s California restaurants have been working wonders. 

The workspace has significantly changed, and the bar top hinge has allowed its users to:

  • Move from place to place quickly with minimal hassle
  • Let go of the bar without worrying about damages or injury
  • Reduce back, neck, and shoulder strain in moving the bar

Certainly, motion control has helped the employees of King’s Fish House, and with the Lift Gate Assistant, they’ve invested for the future. It has a minimum of 100,000 cycles, and is designed to meet ADA requirements for safety. Motion control and counterbalancing increases efficiency and safety in far more than just the food service industry–the possibilities are endless!

Moving Forward With Motion Control

Revitalizing King’s Fish House’s restaurant design was a great undertaking, and it was the first installation of Weber Knapp’s Lift Gate Assistant, but certainly not the last! Motion control hinges have applications across various industries, including

  • Food service
  • Hospitality
  • Medical services
  • Residential and outdoor kitchens


Want to get started designing your custom Lift Gate Assistant? Check out our free calculator here!
Lift gate assistant lid calculator