AN ABBOT KINNEY INSTITUTION REMAKES ITSELF IN PLAYA VISTA’S IMAGE WITH LIVE MUSIC, A NEW MENU AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

Hal’s Bar & Grill is a mainframe restaurant rebooting itself in a community that’s all about digital innovation.

Following a 30-year run as the cultural and culinary heart of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Hal’s breaks new ground — both literally and figuratively — with its long-awaited Runway at Playa Vista location, which as of this writing was gearing up for its soft open on April 12.

Conserving water and energy has always been a good idea, although, until fairly recently, the available technology to do so failed to attract enthusiasts. From “slow-flow” toilets and shower heads to ugly solar collectors on roofs, conservation simply cost more than it was worth. Fortunately, intelligent, profit-minded businesses went to work developing green products that work very well. Without reducing your home’s functionality, new green technology improves comfort and saves big on energy expenses. When it’s time to remodel your home, or build the home of your dreams, consider seizing the advantages of integrated green systems.

You’ve worked hard to get your restaurant up and running. You’ve invested countless hours in creating just the right menu, ambiance and advertising to get people in the door. Your cooking staff is well-trained, your servers are prompt and professional, and your managers are hard-working and devoted to your company’s success. You may think you’ve covered all the bases, and perhaps you have. Then again, maybe you haven’t. The fact is, you may be missing out on key features your competitors are already using to outflank you. This is especially the case if you’re not using a modern point-of-sale (POS) system. Here’s why.

Restaurant patios, if they are done well, can be great revenue generators for a restaurant. Diners feel less confined, more relaxed and comfortable when eating in a space with a view. Also, passing diners are drawn to restaurants with content patrons happily dining outdoors. A recent study by the Simons Advisory Group found that a $200,000 investment into a patio could increase sales by $500,000. This figure could go higher if the restaurant is located in areas with moderate weather.

Want to cash-in on this opportunity? In this installment of “Building a Smart Restaurant,” we’re taking a look at the patio. Here are our tips.

The kitchen is the heart of a restaurant. Its design, construction and efficiency affect the entire operation of the restaurant and can drive or hinder success. Disorganized spaces lead to spills, wasted steps and loss of income. But a thoughtfully conceived and executed space can work like a well-oiled machine.

Whether building an entirely new restaurant or re-envisioning an existing establishment, to create a great restaurant design, every element must be considered at virtually the same time. What comes first, the kitchen, bar or seating area? How will these main components interact without competing against each other? Since a full-service bar is situated within the seating space, its location, functionality and construction is key to a smooth service flow.

Restaurant design does not begin and end with the just the kitchen or the bar. It starts at the door and carries throughout the entire establishment from the kitchen to the dining room to the restrooms. Owners want to welcome guests into a comfortable and inviting establishment where the servers aren’t bumping into each other, dropping trays, or having a hard time making it out of the kitchen.

Smart, efficient restaurants do not just happen. They are envisioned and created by skilled builders with extensive industry-specific knowledge. As part of a continuing blog series exploring smart, efficient restaurant design, this piece will explore two projects econstruct worked on. These examples will show the different experiences you get when hiring a standard contractor versus one who specializes in restaurant construction and renovation.

Designing a building requires exacting architectural skills. Designing a restaurant, however, requires an even more specialized skill set. You want a restaurant that is comfortable, intimate and inviting, and your average architect or contractor just won’t be able to deliver on all three.

When it comes to bringing in more money with a bar or restaurant, it’s not just volume that counts. For most establishments, it’s easier to raise revenue by getting people to stay longer and order more than to simply pack customers in faster and hope they leave again in a hurry.

Even if the original restaurant construction plan didn’t include a patio area for outdoor seating, you can always expand to include this kind of space if there’s any extra room around your building.

A well-organized commercial kitchen improves your workflow and efficiency. It also makes keeping the kitchen clean and sanitary. That means you can spend your time cooking instead of worrying about the disorganization around you.

Getting your kitchen organized doesn’t need to be difficult. Follow these tips for organizing your kitchen so that it works for you.

Sustainability has become a hot topic in recent years, and for good reason. As the global population grows and we learn more about the scarcity of natural resources, more and more businesses are looking for ways to serve customers in a way that is both responsible and sustainable.

If you’re a restaurant owner or manager, you already know that keeping your establishment up to date is key to attracting new business. One of the best ways to do this is by adding new technology that can enhance the customer experience and make your operations more efficient and cost-effective. If you’re looking for a few good ideas to give your construction company during your next restaurant renovation, try these.

Renovations are a necessary expense for any business over time, but renovating a restaurant can be a huge undertaking. In addition to the actual costs of the renovation, there are a lot of “hidden” costs in employee downtime and a closed storefront. Fortunately, a skilled renovation company and construction management team can help you avoid many of these issues. If you’re thinking about investing in your property in the near future, here is what you need to think about.

The real estate market has rebounded in much of the country, giving more and more homeowners the freedom to move up. But before you can make an offer on that new dream home, you have to sell the one you are already in. So, what is today’s savvy buyer looking for?

The bathroom is the place that wastes the most water in your home. From the shower to the toilet, water runs everything in the bathroom, and in a severe drought, that just isn’t something you want. When your entire state seems to be sucked dry, wasting water in your bathroom is not an option. Luckily, there are solutions to the water wasters you might have installed in your home right now. A simple remodel can help you save water and in turn help the environment. Here are just a few of these projects you can do to save water during a drought.

Tired of looking at those dingy cabinets or outdated countertops? Even if your remodeling plans are motivated by personal preferences rather than attracting buyers, careful choices can give you a kitchen you love while improving the overall value of your home. Explore the best options for each part of your kitchen remodel to get up to 92 percent of your investment returned as an increase in home value.

Remodeling your home is one of those things that sounds like a manageable DIY project at first but then quickly grows out of control. Instead of trying to tear up tile and wrestling with a claw footed tub to get the bathroom of your dreams all alone, find out how hiring econstruct, Inc. will simplify the entire process from design to completion.

Some renovations are motivated strictly by your own desires and needs, such as a bathroom renovation to fix a bathtub you can’t relax in. However, you can also approach a remodeling project from a financial mindset and focus on increasing the property’s value. This requires more planning and consideration, but it pays off whether you’re planning to sell now or get a bigger return on your investment sometime in the future. Work with a trusted construction company such as econstruct on any one of these projects and you’ll soon see your home’s value go up.

With so many changes in the real estate market of Los Angeles lately, it’s no wonder that most people owning second or third homes there want to hold onto their properties. Sales are slowing down as international visitors realize how valuable a vacation home in the city really is, but many of these owners are still unable to visit more than a few times a year. These homeowners could benefit from a new service econstruct is introducing: absentee homeowner services. By investing in this service, homeowners can reduce stress while enjoying a cleaner, more well-maintained home every time they visit L.A.

If your restaurant has an outdoor dining area or if you’re thinking about adding one with the help of a commercial contractor, it’s crucial for you to make the most of it. This space can be more than just overflow seating; it’s a way to increase the number of customers served and offer a unique feature that your competitors don’t have. A restaurant construction company can help you to make the most of this area.

Over the past decade, improving technology has affected just about every aspect of consumer life, including the restaurant business. Whether it be an app, product or service, restaurant owners are finding that incorporating technology into their business opens up a whole new experience for their customers, increases sales, and oftentimes makes operations more efficient.

So what are the latest trends in restaurant tech? Keep reading to find out.

Leasing a commercial space is far less expensive than building your own restaurant from scratch, but you’ll still need help from a restaurant construction crew to customize it for your purposes. Since leased spaces come with their own histories, you need to do a little investigation before jumping into a lease agreement. Let a commercial contractor assist you in the evaluation of a leased space to determine if you’re getting a good deal or will end up spending too much to make it work for your restaurant plans.

New restaurant construction is incredibly exciting and stressful at the same time. While you’re considering menu paper and table setting options, don’t forget to set aside a little time for planning out your kitchen too. Too many restaurant owners forget to design a kitchen built around the workflow and volume demands from the front of the business. You can give your customers a better experience and keep your kitchen staff happier by sitting down with a construction company acquainted with specialty design.

Restaurant construction truly is a labor of love. Every year 9 out of 10 restaurants that open, fail, and it isn’t always because their food or service is bad. In fact, many times it’s about the mistakes owners don’t even realize they’re making in the construction process. When you are building a restaurant, you have to be cognizant of everything around you, or you won’t succeed. Here are four common mistakes that restaurant owners make before, during, and even after building their restaurant and opening their doors, causing them to fail.

It’s estimated that up to 30 percent of all restaurants fail within the first year of business and up to 60 percent of all restaurants eventually shut their doors for good within the first three years of business. Yes, the restaurant business is highly competitive and there’s a lot of turnover. But much of this failure can likely be avoided if a restaurant owner simply knows the market before building a new establishment. This post will take a closer look at what to take into consideration before restaurant construction begins.

Building a restaurant starts with a very specific theme. Without that guiding force behind every build decision, the design of the restaurant is unlikely to reflect its purpose. Being able to narrow down the theme of an eating establishment before construction begins helps you realize your long-range goals.

The design build (D/B) construction project delivery system is a building best practice. The process allows restaurant owners to open a new venue faster, and more cost efficiently, than the design-bid-build process. The entire project flows smoother because there are fewer parties involved. It is the best construction method available for restaurant owners. Experienced builders know this method produces the best outcome for owners. Econstruct, Inc. leads the design build construction delivery market in Southern California.

Building a restaurant is an exciting undertaking, and every decision that you make concerning the construction of your restaurant will affect the eventual success of it. This is why you must carefully weigh out your options before making any final construction decisions for your establishment.

Design Build has increased in popularity as the project delivery system of choice. In fact, this project delivery system is so popular that in California there are many new laws which encourage this type of construction. Considering the rising interest in this PDS (project delivery system), many people are wanting to learn more about design build.

When you are finalizing decisions on a layout for a building, utilities are just one of many factors to consider. Even with a lot of help, you are likely to feel overwhelmed by the many ways things can go wrong. The placement and size of tanks, pipes, fuse boxes, and wiring need to follow many regulations as well as a logical order in a new structure.

This post is part of our three part series on Project Design Plans. Catch up on the first two articles below

Developing and building the restaurant of your dreams requires a plan of action before the bidding process. Project plans determine the actual cost and estimate of the project, so it is essential for every restaurant owner to start with a clear plan and goal before discussing the costs. By starting with a clear plan, you will get an accurate bid and will not face unexpected expenses throughout the construction project.

Restaurant construction requires the assistance of professionals who understand the designs that are most appropriate for your goals. Depending on your plans, working with an experienced and creative construction company provides the chance to develop an amazing restaurant. Before finalizing your plans, evaluate the situation and focus on identifying the right professional for your goals.

You’ve heard it before and we’ll say it again: location, location, location. The decision to proceed with the planning and construction of a restaurant can easily turn into a mentally and emotionally exhausting experience. Your ultimate goal is to get your business concept from computer-assisted design modeling to a successful opening day. The time between planning and designing your restaurant and the beginning of construction is, arguably, the most important part of the overall building process. Possibly the most imperative factor to decide is, as the old adage says, location.

So you are finally ready to do it. You have all your investors lined up, the business plan is complete, you’ve picked a location, and now you are all set. Your dream of building a restaurant is finally going to come true. Getting your dream restaurant started is quite an undertaking, and you need to have the best commercial contractor available to you to get your restaurant construction done right.

Welcome to our site! We are in the process of building our blog page and will have many interesting articles to share in the coming months. Please stay tuned to this page for information to come. And if you have any questions about our business or want to reach out to us, we would love for you to stop by our contact page.

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