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.
The Econstruct Difference: Two Case Studies
PROJECT 1
In this project, the restaurant was undertaking a $1.5 million operation. econstruct was hired to oversee the purchase of kitchen equipment for the project.
Our owner, Frank Neimroozi, personally met with the chef to discuss how he would like his kitchen to operate. Over the course of this meeting, Frank recommended different types of equipment that would satisfy the needs of the space, electrical capacity, and result in a “well-oiled” kitchen.
With more than 30 years of experience in restaurant construction and renovation, Frank had a solid understanding of kitchen operations, staff expectations and the needs of a day-to-day operation. This knowledge was key, and with it, Frank was able to reassure the company and the kitchen staff that the kitchen would operate in the most efficient manner possible once it opened.
This pre-planning prevented the staff from having to come back in and restructure the layout due to unanticipated issues with the kitchen layout. An efficiently functioning kitchen will make everyone, including the chef, staff, customers and the owner happy.
PROJECT 2
Project 2 had a very different outcome. This $250,000 operation did not allow the econstruct team to decide what types of equipment would be used in the kitchen.
When the kitchen equipment showed up, the staff quickly realized it was different from what was specified in the initial plan. What did this mean for the project? Well, first, it meant the electrical wiring had to be changed because it didn’t support the equipment ordered. Additionally, because the equipment did not fit the initial plan that was drawn up, the plan had to be reworked.
These issues pushed back the opening date for the restaurant and cost the client significantly more money to fix the issues created by the difference in equipment. To further complicate the matter, the company hired to handle the equipment purchase had not consulted the chef or considered the layout of the kitchen. How can that company make the best decision for the restaurant without consulting the people who will use that equipment every day?
THE ECONSTRUCT DIFFERENCE
The econstruct team and CEO Frank Neimroozi bring a wealth of hands-on industry knowledge. Our 30+ years of experience will guarantee that the equipment that your kitchen needs to operate efficiently will be the equipment that is installed. By working with restaurant owners and chefs, our team delivers a kitchen that will be functional, efficient and contribute to the success of the restaurant.
Future blogs in this series will explore specific areas in restaurant layout and delve deeper into specific details. Check back soon for more great content!