Meet Ian Bartos - Co-founder

Ian’s role at Springbay is anything but one-dimensional. He’s the man behind the technology of our Cocktail Stations: from design and engineering to making sure every tap system runs flawlessly. And when something goes wrong? Ian’s the one picking up the call.

No two days look the same. One day he’s in the warehouse, the next he’s in a meeting, or on-site with a client. But what fuels Ian most is pioneering. Springbay was the very first in the Netherlands – and among the first in Europe – to bring this kind of technology into the cocktail world. Ian has seen the whole journey: from sketching ideas on paper to creating a system that’s now reshaping the bar industry. And he’s rightfully proud of that.

Bartending in the blood

Passion runs in the family. Ian’s inspiration came from his father, Wolfgang Bartos, an award-winning bartender who moved from Austria to the Netherlands in the sixties to work on the Holland America Line. That’s where he discovered American Bartending. Later, he and Ian’s mother ran a French restaurant – the place where Ian grew up. “Hospitality is in my DNA. I became a total craft geek.”

For Ian, the biggest change in hospitality has been the mobile phone: “These days, you see whole tables more focused on their screens than each other. It takes away some of the magic.” Another big shift? Cocktails going mainstream: “When I started, cocktails were niche. Now they’re a must-have for every venue.”

Driven by innovation

For Ian, Springbay is all about creating the ultimate cocktail experience: building systems that put the guest first while making bartenders’ jobs easier. The combination of their two inventions – the 3-tap and the Cocktail Station – is, in his eyes, their proudest innovation. “It’s insane how much engineering went into this. Nobody else is doing it. We invented it. We’re nerds – but with a mission.”

That mission is crystal clear: inspire bartenders, empower entrepreneurs, and surprise guests with quality and speed. Ian stresses that bar owners should think about bar infrastructure with the same seriousness as they do their kitchen.

Kick-ass projects

Of all the projects Springbay has worked on, one stands out for Ian: the partnership with the Bols Cocktail Experience in Amsterdam. “That bar just rocks. Every time I walk in and see our stations running, I can’t help but smile.”

Ian’s mission

Ian’s personal goal is simple but powerful: give guests the best cocktail experience possible while giving entrepreneurs and bartenders the tools to make it simple and consistent. With Springbay, he’s not just building systems, he’s building a new standard in the cocktail world.

Or, as Ian himself puts it: “I go to work whistling every day. This job is just amazing.”