As far as the bar--if the reason the bar is tall is to accommodate the equipment that goes underneath it, what about sinking the inside of the bar (making it lower than the "floor" of the bar-patron-area)? That would allow you to have a table-height bar (wheelchair friendly) and give the bartenders what they need in terms of storage space.

Chili's has started having this thing that I think is pretty neat, where they have little screens on each table that you can order appetizers and drinks from. For someone with speaking issues, or someone who'd like to go out but has anxiety issues re: interacting with people, that could be a cool idea.