The Critical Dimension
Designing restaurants is fun. And why wouldn’t it be? You are dealing with people whose focus is hospitality, fun, eating, drinking, camaraderie, enjoying the pleasures of life. This is an upbeat crowd figuring out how to create great experiences for their customers.
But restaurant design is serious business. The people you are working with are investing big dollars in these ventures and expect smart, well-conceived, creative solutions that allow them to execute their concepts.
Restaurants are factories that must operate very efficiently. The flow and movement of goods, staff, and customers must be carefully orchestrated, from the overall space plan to the individual work stations. This includes entry, host, restrooms, kitchen, bar, server stations and all other areas within the building as well as outside areas – trash, recycling, parking/valet.
Of course, aesthetics are essential to the success of a restaurant. But the dining experience is a composite of many elements, both physical and emotional. While you cannot control the “hospitality” – attitude of staff, attention to operating details, true concern and appreciation of the customer – as an integral member of the design team you play a major role in the overall customer experience and functionality of the space. Most restaurateurs are fun to work with. Take this responsibility seriously while enjoying the process.
The Critical Dimension is a blog dealing with all aspects of restaurant development, from the initial concept through opening day. The blog will focus on real world issues and solutions. It will provide insight to seasoned professionals as well as those starting their first venture.
It’s a running joke in our family, that when we walk into a restaurant, I’ll notice immediately if something doesn’t “feel” right - the bar is too high, even just a half inch, the table layout or spacing is off or the site lines or entry experience is awkward. Customers may notice too, even if they can’t put their finger on what it is that feels a little ‘off’. From the smallest detail to the biggest element, The Critical Dimension will focus on all aspects of planning, design and construction of your restaurant. Whether you are building your first restaurant or planning your next venture, operating a restaurant is not the same as planning and building one. I hope this blog will offer valuable direction, advice and counsel that could save you time, money and headaches.
We are not selling you anything. OK, I did write a book (Restaurant Planning, Design & Construction – A Survival Guide for Owners, Operators and Developers) that is available on Amazon. There may be some overlap with this blog, but it is still a good resource.
I grew up working in restaurants, studied hospitality operations and design in school and have been (and am) a partner in several restaurant ventures. I started my design firm after working for restaurant development companies and hospitality architects. My work has taken me to many parts of the world. It has afforded me great experiences, challenges and opportunities. We all learn from our past performances. Through this blog, I will share mine with you.
You can comment, ask questions, critique or refute what I present. There is always more than one correct answer or way of solving a problem. What I discuss here is based on my years of experience working in, developing, designing and building restaurants. Keep in mind that collaboration fosters better solutions. We can all learn from your comments. Enjoy and have fun during this process.
Death by a Thousand Cuts
It’s the Small Things that Kill You
As construction moves toward completion, owners and the operational team start paying attention and asking questions. Where are the wiring and controls for the sound system, TVs, internet? Do we have power and data for the POS at the host stand? Who is handling the fire alarm connection? Do we have a doorbell and viewport at the receiving door? When are the beer system and soda system installers scheduled? And, of course, there will always be the “added” bar appliance (frozen drink machine) or new kitchen machine.
Many of these activities are performed by the owner’s vendors, outside the scope of the General Contractor which means management and coordination of this work is often unclear.
On a well-managed project, these details are addressed during the Design Programming phase and responsibilities are assigned by the Project Manager. Weekly OAC meetings (owner, architect, contractor) address these issues and catch them early in the design or construction process. But smaller, less formal projects omit these details, take a casual approach to managing the overall development, and suffer the consequences.
Checklists, structured RFIs (Request For Information) and a clearly defined chain of communication work well regardless of the size of your construction project. When these missing pieces must be added late in the construction process, they cause delays and increased costs. Finished surfaces may need to be modified and design features may need to be altered.
Changes and adds are very common. Concepts get refined, new ideas create new opportunities and the demands of the market may evolve. Some last-minute revisions cannot be avoided. But many can and should be known well in advance and built into the construction schedule.
Manage your construction projects with the same high level of detail and documentation regardless of the size or complexity. It’s the little things that, if overlooked, will “kill” you.
Worth Repeating. . .
Why are some design team members left out of the communication pipeline? Schedules, deadlines, important findings from site visits, landlord requirements or owner preferences should all be shared with the entire design team, regardless of their direct or indirect impact on each discipline. In this age of emails, Zoom calls and automated/app generated field reports, distributing information to everyone involved in planning and designing a restaurant should be a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, many project managers don’t understand this. They work through the project architect and his staff thinking that they will share what is needed with the appropriate parties. This assumption relies too heavily on a subordinate to manage a complex venture. To meet schedules and deadlines, information from the specialty consultants and designers (food service, sound, IT , POS systems, etc.) requires coordination with other design disciplines. And each discipline in turn, needs time to review and incorporate this information into their documents. There are numerous instances where interior design impacts kitchen, bar and server station details. Sharing conceptual ideas and critical dimensions is essential. This takes time and often requires collaborative design efforts. If due dates and deliverable requirements are not clearly defined, schedules slip and owners are justifiably frustrated.
Coordination is the most essential aspect of managing design and construction. If the team is not communicating effectively and timely, if decisions, field issues and owner revisions are not shared with all parties, there will be mistakes.
Most restaurant design projects conduct weekly meeting of all parties to share information, review progress, discuss design issues and address unresolved or newly discovered items. While often longer than needed and your personal involvement may be very limited, they allow for everyone to understand the overall project and share information.
It is easier, faster and cheaper to make changes on paper (or on screen) than in the field. It’s not difficult to keep everyone informed, share drawings and schedules and save your team and the owner a lot of unnecessary stress. Be proactive. Communicate frequently and share information. If the construction documents are not well coordinated and complete, everyone loses.
The Last Mile
Getting Everyone to Sign Off
As your construction and equipment installation near completion, you and your operations team are eager to move in, receive supplies and begin training. There will always be tension between the construction crew and the operations team, who wants to get in, set up and get to work.
Aside from the needed inspections required before operations can start receiving goods and training, there is equipment that requires technical/factory start up, calibration and training. These activities are often scheduled when these appliances (coffee and espresso machines, hi tech ovens, specialty equipment) are installed and connected to utilities but before the site is ready for final health, fire and building inspections.
Inevitably, with equipment start-up and calibration there will be issues: faulty or broken parts that will take time to repair or replace, incorrect electrical receptacles, missing plumbing accessories.
General contractors are not immune from these same issues. Punch list items like trim and finish details, mechanical, electrical and plumbing issues must be addressed immediately. Once the restaurant receives their CO or TCO, the staff will overwhelm the restaurant. The kitchen, bar and dining areas will be packed with people training. Hoods will be on and cooking appliances hot. This is not a good time to be trying to finish work. This may require early morning or after-hours service.
This is the opportunity for your equipment vendor and his manufacturer’s agents and service technicians to prove their value or expose their deficiencies. It is a time that will determine if they remain part of the design and construction team on future projects or be kicked to the curb and maligned for failing to do their job.
This may sound harsh and may be unfair. So what. Contractors, equipment dealers and their support team (service agencies and factory reps) realize that there are many options for owners to source their equipment needs. Personal service, attention to detail and timely response set these companies apart. Seasoned operators are under a lot of pressure to get inspector sign-offs, load in supplies, train their staff and get open. When equipment and installation issues arise – and they always do – factory reps, service agencies, the installation crew and the equipment dealer must all do whatever it takes to expedite the necessary repairs and provide the requested training. The cause of these issues may not even be clear. Low gas pressure may be the cause of temperature fluctuations in ovens or ranges, popping breakers may be the caused by compressors kicking on tripping GFI receptacles or too many appliances on the same circuit.
Regardless of the cause (often operator error), solving these problems will determine how they (YOU) are remembered by the owner.
Tools Versus Talent
A pencil in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon. Pencils, pens, drafting boards, computer drafting, 3D imaging, virtual walk-throughs of your restaurant are all valuable tools available to your design team. But, simply having these tools and knowing how to use them, doesn’t guarantee or ensure that the resultant design will be any good.
Many designers promote their services by touting their use of these high tech tools and design aids. They want you to believe that these tools will produce an efficient, functional and desirable space.
It doesn’t work that way! None of it works that way! You don’t get good, successful, effective design from these tools. You get it from the person who is using these tools. And, if that person does not have the knowledge, experience and design sense to take your design program, review and refine it as needed, understand the constraints of the exiting space and create a viable schematic plan as a working starting point toward designing your restaurant, these tools will be of no value. You may get pretty images and the illusion that you are making progress, but you will often be disappointed.
Too often, architects, designers and consultants take on work that is outside their sphere of competence. They want the experience or are excited to have a chance to work on your type of restaurant or food and beverage concept. Sometimes a general surgeon can get the job done. Other times, you need the heart specialist or brain surgeon. As an owner or operator, know the talent you need. As a design professional, admit when a project does not fit your skills. Everyone benefits and can save face.
I Can See You
No one wants to see into your bathroom, dish area or other less appealing work areas. That flash of bright light from an opening door is distracting. On the flip side, display kitchens and peeks into unique prep areas – butchery, pastry, pantry – have their place and can be a design feature. The idea that exhibition cooking areas – kitchens, specialty workstations, open flame cooking – are a fading fad is a broad generalization. It is a viable design and operational element. If it fits with your concept, do it. Just do it smart.
Your design program lists all the spaces and their sizes that you need to operate your restaurant. The resultant schematic plan will show the organization of these spaces; your entry, bar, back prep kitchen, finishing kitchen or cook line, dining areas and support spaces. As you review and refine your schematic plan, think about how people move through your restaurant and what they see. While building or site conditions often dictate where some of these elements are placed, you have a blank canvas to create the overall flow of customers and staff through your space and study lines of sight. Take your time as you evaluate and shuffle the elements of this schematic plan. Once established, your restaurant design will be built upon it.
Too often, schematic plans are quickly drawn and reviewed, schedules established, and your design team moves quickly into more detailed drawings. As your design team continues to move from schematic design through design development and into construction drawings, this plan becomes rigid. Changes are discouraged, time consuming and expensive.
It is really in the schematic design phase that you will have the opportunity to challenge the way customers and servers move throughout the restaurant. It is during this phase that you can explore sight lines and understand what the customer sees as they move through the space.
Doors, where appropriate, certainly mitigate undesirable views and are often the only practical solution. Walls, architectural screens and other features can also solve the problem. If customer and service traffic or site conditions make eliminating these less desirable site lines impossible, try making them a feature. Understand that they are visible or partially visible to the public and make them appealing with higher end finishes, materials, lighting or low walls to block site lines to the floors.
There will always be trade-offs. Doors and screens may impact ease of service, creating circuitous routes to block site lines that may waste valuable space and cause blind spots. The important point here is to be aware and solve these issues during the schematic design process.
TIME
Time is money, You done yet? , Hurry up!, ASAP, Deadlines!
Why do you rush the most important steps when creating a viable restaurant? You’re planning a business that will operate for decades or longer. You are designing a space that, once constructed, will be a fixed environment for you to execute your concept. If you get it right, it will allow you to flourish. If you get it wrong, you have built-in opportunities for failure.
The classic response when reviewing schedules is, “ yesterday, of course.” We need to be open for the holidays, or the ‘season’ or for some other arbitrary date that reflects an uptick in business activity.
I have seen and heard many design professionals discuss how long it should take to provide a design and produce construction drawings. “Get it done,” they say, “take the space allocated to the kitchen or bar by the architect and layout the equipment.” This is a short sighted approach that rarely benefits the operator or creates a successful restaurant.
Think longer term. Whenever you start your planning, it’s inevitable that you are going to miss some milestone event. The old adage, “the best time to plant a tree was 50 years ago, the next best time is today,” holds true for restaurants as well. You missed the 50 years ago or 8-10 months ago or last month when you passed on the previous location. Now you have an opportunity to be ahead of the next curve by focusing on the details, thinking through the various design options, researching the fads vs trends and making smart, thoughtful decisions that will serve the venture over the next ten, twenty or more years.
When you slow down and take time to think things through, you will be swimming upstream. Many on your design team want quick decisions so they can complete their work and move on. Others will stress the need to be ‘first to market” or make the deal before you lose the space. There are many business decisions that benefit from this thinking, that stress the need to act, to evaluate the decision, course correct when needed and keep moving forward. That may work with marketing strategies, menu updates or product releases, or decisions that can be adjusted once implemented.
Construction does not fit that strategy. Once you design it and build it, you own it. Sure, you can change it but at significant cost and time. And it’s disruptive to the business.
I am not suggesting you overthink the process, ask everyone’s opinion and take days or weeks to evaluate the details. Be decisive, but take the time to review the details with your team – culinary, bar, engineering, front of house – and make smart decisions.
Labor is expensive, construction is expensive, rents and leases are expensive. And poor planning and decision making are expensive. Take the necessary time to plan, design and build the restaurant that will allow you to execute your concept successfully.
Everyone, Everywhere, all the Time
My son and I recently took a trip to New York. We popped into a tiny neighborhood pizza shop in the East Village and after we finished our meal, asked the woman sitting next to us for a bar recommendation. “Oh, there is a great sake bar up the street,” she said, “it’s one of my favorite spots”. So we decided to check it out.
The approach to the bar was classic New York: we went down a steep, narrow stairway right off the sidewalk, walked through a little door with a high threshold and into a small, dark, low ceilinged space. Graffiti covered every surface. It was a very hip and very crowded bar. The space could fit maybe 50-60 people max., and it was full. Sitting at a small table cramped next to our neighbors, we had a few cocktails and late-night snacks. This was a great bar!
Our immediate reaction was, “you couldn’t build and open this bar today. There are too many code issues”. There was no ADA access, the doors were too narrow, the floors uneven, the aisles too tight. If there was a fire down here it would be mayhem!
I’m not suggesting that we abandon life safety concerns or accessibility for the sake of atmosphere or just to open an underground speakeasy style bar. But, by providing equal access for everyone to everything, we do lose those one of a kind “joints, dive bars, hole in the wall ‘finds” that offer a special experience.
There are “grandfathered” spaces (how has that term survived?) and historic exemptions, which means that at some level, we understand that not all spaces can be accessible to everyone.
At what point is it OK to say, “Sorry, but I can’t reasonably make this space work for everyone, all the time. Try the bar down the street?”
Exhaust Hoods
Many players, many opportunities for failure.
Restaurant kitchens generate heat, smoke, grease and odors. No surprise here. How you deal with these conditions needs considerable thought, smart design, proper engineering and a well -coordinated effort among your entire design team.
Let’s not get into the weeds here discussing the nuances of different hood systems, air handling – exhaust and make-up air – systems or hood features. This is a more generic discussion of key pitfalls that you, the owner, operator, or developer need to be aware of.
Most jurisdictions require venting over cooking appliances that generate, heat, smoke, grease, steam/condensation. We will leave the discussion of types of hoods to more technical articles. This is the 10,000-foot view that will help avoid operational issues.
Space planning: It makes sense to consolidate equipment that requires venting. Arranging workstations that can fit under a common hood or back-to-back hoods, or adjacent hoods allows for them to be ducted together to consolidate duct routing and fans.
Ceiling heights and clearances: Vertical clearances are frequently overlooked. You may think you have ample space when you look at floor to ceiling structure dimension. But add in ductwork, support structures to hold the ductwork, utilities that may cross over or under these items and you lose height quickly.
Low ceilings may require alternate styles of hoods which can impact the types and height of equipment you can fit under the hood. Sloped front hoods (designed for low ceiling applications) or back shelf hoods, may prevent the use of tall appliances – ovens, rotisseries, tall grills.
Hood construction: Hood assemblies can be very long. If longer than 16’ or if building conditions or access require shorter lengths, they may be assembled from several hoods joined together.
Hoods are large and may need to be assembled in sections to fit in the building or through doors and around corners. Even though you may have less than 16’ of hood length, the hood may still need to be two or more sections.
These sections, when joined together, and will have seams where the multiple hoods meet. With standard hoods that are eighty inches off the floor, these intermediate panels are not an obstruction. However, with sloped front hoods or back shelf hoods, the sides of the hoods creating the seam may affect the placement of tall equipment. Accurate equipment drawings showing, in elevation view, how the equipment fits under the hood and showing the actual hood design, will expose this potential conflict.
Fire Protection: Those pipes that hang down from the hood for the fire protection system are unsightly and often, in the way. But they are required for life safety and are a non-negotiable requirement. There are, however, ways to mitigate their visual and operational impact.
Overlapping fire protection: When you specify overlapping fire protection, the system is designed with greater capacity and tighter spacing of nozzles. But the nozzles are mounted higher and not so obstructive. Additionally, equipment under the hood can be rearranged without having to relocate nozzles (requiring a certified technician, scheduled and costly).
Water systems: Solid fuel cooking or hoods located in high rise buildings may be required by code to have a continuous source of fire suppressant vs the traditional chemical system that has a limited capacity. These systems often use a water mist and a surfactant (soap) to suffocate a fire and run off the building water line. These systems require additional floor drains or floor sinks for their periodic wash down cycles and for water capture when the system is activated. These are large drain lines (2”+-) that extend from the hood gutter to the nearest floor sink. Careful placement of these drains is required to avoid equipment legs or casters or being a trip hazard in a corridor. Additionally, they may be considered unsightly by the design team and need to be strategically located or run through the wall to a drain on the back side of the cook line.
Location of Suppression tanks, controls and pull stations: Hood fire protection systems require control panels and/or tanks of chemicals. These are mounted either on the end of the hood, if room permits, or on an adjacent wall. When mounted on a wall, it is important to place the tanks as close to the hoods as possible as there are limitations in the length of pipe from the tanks to the nozzles. They should be high as possible to avoid conflicting with wall shelving , the location of these appliances must be shown on your drawings to avoid losing wall space for storage.
Pull Stations: Similarly, these systems need ‘pull stations”. These are essentially the alarm and activation switch if the system needs to be activated manually. These are located for easy access in the path of travel from the hood to the exit. Fire marshals often approve this location. Coordinating the installation of the hood fire protection system is needed to avoid having exposed piping in your kitchen. If this trade is called in after the walls are finished, they will surface mount their pull stations and cable conduit. While not illegal, this is unsightly, often difficult to clean around, and protrudes out into hallways or work areas. Insist and note on your drawings that these systems must be installed inside the walls with flush mounted pull stations.
The design coordination of the kitchen exhaust system, hood design, hood installation and installation of the hood fire protection involves:
Kitchen designer – provides the equipment layout and often works with a hood vendor to engineer the hood overall length, exhaust and make up air systems, pollution control units if required and fire protection. Their drawings and elevations should correctly show this hood over the cooking line equipment, including the hood end panels if several hoods make up the overall length.
Mechanical / Electrical Engineers – take and review this hood engineering information and design the ductwork, utilities, fan placement and needed controls. Their drawings and specifications will show this equipment.
Mechanical Contractor – Purchases the hood package (sometimes provided by owner or kitchen equipment vendor) and installs the system per the drawings and specifications.
Electrical Contractor – installs necessary power and controls. Often requires hood manufacturer tech support to coordinate control wiring.
Fire Protection Installer- Usually a sub-contractor under the hood manufacturer or a separate supplier working under the mechanical contractor. His scope and scheduling often falls through the cracks and need to be highlighted during weekly construction meeting. Their work needs to be staged, phase one rough piping IN WALLS for pull stations, and final connection after equipment is set and walls finished.
General Contractor – Coordination of all the above. Identifies any field conditions that may affect this design, schedules the work and all required inspections.
Lots of opportunities for failure. Just don’t let it happen!
Great restaurant!
Who Designed and Built This?
We often see newspaper and magazine articles praising the design of new, exciting restaurants and bars. The design community, proud of their contributions to these ventures, promote them on their websites and online communities. It’s always good to see new and creative spaces, concepts and themes opening up. We are always looking for the next great place for cocktails, a meal or to get together with friends.
Putting your name and credentials on a successful hospitality venture is good marketing. You and your team worked hard, solved some problems and shared in the joy and satisfaction of creating a successful restaurant. We all want to get the recognition and exposure for our work and build our client base.
But please be realistic as to where you fit in the overall scope of the venture. The common phrases, “we designed that restaurant” or “we built it!” gets tossed around too easily and doesn’t give credit to all the players.
It’s probably not your concept or idea. You didn’t find the space or define the market. It’s not your money. You were selected to provide a necessary and valuable service. You are part of a team of professionals chosen to help create a viable business. It’s exciting, challenging and rewarding. Revel in the opportunity and your contribution to the overall venture.
Recognize that many varied skills were brought together to achieve this success. You don’t need to roll the credits like a film, but be humble enough to recognize that “you” did not design or build this restaurant. You were part of a team that worked closely with an operator or ownership group and many other design and construction professionals to bring this concept to life. Be proud of your accomplishment and contribution.
Appreciate and acknowledge the team effort. By acknowledging the collective effort, you enhance your own reputation as a valuable team player and collaborator. This is a desirable attribute sought by many developers and owners.
Up on the Rooftop
or In the Garage, there’s plenty of room!
“Put it on the roof or find a corner in the parking garage”, is an easy response when deciding where to put many mechanical equipment components. Roof space is often at a premium, especially if you share it with other tenants. You cannot assume that space is available up there or that you can get from your tenant space to the roof if it means going up through other floors or tenant spaces. Parking garages do have odd corners that may accommodate compressors or small systems that can be separated from the main kitchen. Hanging compressors from a garage ceiling or stacking them in an unused parking garage corner is common. But this equipment needs to be protected from traffic and vandalism.
Oil recovery systems, CO2 tanks and similar items may also fall into that category. While that space is typically not part of a leased space, many operators negotiate with their landlords to occupy these spaces, saving valuable restaurant space. Understand this as part of your site review and lease discussions.
Equipment that is usually put on the roof are air handling units, kitchen hood exhaust fans and make-up air units, pollution control units (PCUs), remote refrigeration compressors and vents, flues or other air exhaust and intake units and even signage. Along with all this equipment, there are code required separations between exhaust and air intake and space required for service access. The roof fills up very quickly.
Since several disciplines – mechanical, electrical, food service and architectural - may need to locate equipment on the roof or in parking garages, the architect should coordinate the overall roof plan and related garage plan showing all these items. This can be a complex endeavor since not all suppliers or sub-contractors work directly for the General Contractor. The work and equipment provided by these outside trades may not be directed or under the supervision of the architect or General Contractor. This work often includes remote refrigeration, wine room systems, wifi systems and even small rooftop chef gardens.
Kitchen designers prefer to put remote refrigeration units outside – on the roof, outside mezzanine or in an enclosed exterior space to alleviate the problems with heat from these units affecting the interior space. The refrigeration sub-contractor may be working directly for the owner or for the kitchen equipment vender who, in turn, may be working directly for the owner. As a result, these units may not appear on the architect’s or engineers’ construction drawings. The size and location of these units, their utilities and the routing of the remote refrigeration lines needs to be coordinated with the General Contractor at the start of construction to avoid conflicts with routing or inaccessibility when walls or ceilings are closed up.
We have discussed the need for “kick off” or pre-construction meetings with all trades. Any trades working directly for the owner should be included in these meetings.
Overlook coordination of rooftop equipment, access, layout and the location of all rooftop equipment early in the construction process at your peril!
Shop Drawings
Last Chance to get it right!
Why spend all that money and not get what you thought you ordered? In a restaurant, replacing the side salad on an entrée with potatoes is an easy fix. When you realize the pass shelf is too narrow or too high or you forgot the space for the trash can at the beverage station, that fix, if possible, is expensive!
Design moves from the general to specific, from loose schematics to comprehensive construction documents. As part of the construction process, detailed fabrication drawings, manufacturer’s specification sheets and similar submittals on specific product selections are presented by the general contractor to the architect and design team for review and approval. These items – booths, cabinets and millwork, bespoke light fixtures, custom fabricated stainless-steel kitchen and bar equipment and standard equipment that has custom features – need to be “approved” before the contractor will release them for fabrication and purchase.
While many of these items are quickly reviewed and approved by your architect or engineers (plumbing fixtures, electrical components, etc.) anything that affects your design aesthetic or operational functionality should be reviewed by you and the appropriate members of your culinary and operational team.
Checking shop drawings and submittals for correct dimensions is the responsibility of your design team. Your concern and responsibility are to review for design and functionality.
It is in your best interest to review all shop drawings for custom fabricated kitchen and bar equipment with your supplier. While they are responsible for verifying dimensions and correct utilities, you will want to review the functional details. Refrigeration, water stations, ice wells and similar equipment are often integral with millwork or stainless-steel server stations. Confirming that these items are properly located and accounted for in the millwork drawings. Correct cut-outs for drop-in equipment or clearances for undercounter equipment, while the responsibility of the architect and millwork contractor, should be reviewed by your team as well.
Custom chef counters, often used in high volume restaurants, are designed with cold wells, remote refrigeration, spoon wells, plating and expediting areas, undercounter heated compartments or roll in equipment, drop in warmers, overshelves with heat lamps and POS printers/screens. They are complicated and expensive. Taking the time to review these details and how they align with the hood line often results in minor refinements.
Even the simple items warrant review. Having your culinary team or chef take a final look at these drawings may result in a sink bowl being relocated, an undershelf added or deleted, a marine edge added to a prep sink or sheet pan slides added to a worktable. These are small corrections that may have a significant impact on your operation. It is worth the time and effort to assemble your culinary team to review these drawings. Many shops provide 3D views or even animated visuals of this equipment. However they are presented, have your team review the details – plating space, height and depth of over shelves, placement of POS monitors or printers.
Bar equipment is typically an assembly of small components – sinks, ice wells, drain boards, rinser stations – each with four legs. The factory can, if requested, combine units in the shop to eliminate excessive legs, making it far easier to clean under bars and take advantage of the storage space below. Many equipment manufacturers will, if asked, provide layout drawing for review (plan and elevation view) so you can see where legs fall and if they can be minimized.
Your architect and food service designer should proactively involve you or your project manager in the review process. They in turn should enlist your operation team in the review process before equipment and furnishings are fabricated. Too often, the culinary team will arrive on site during installation and question why equipment is placed where it is, why there are no shelves in a particular area or express frustration with various aspects of the design and equipment selection. You can tell them to “make it work” , spend time and money making changes or do the smart thing and make them active participants in the process.
This phase of the construction process is your last opportunity to review your design and the details of your operation. Get it right!
Bad Design
You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.
Yes, there is always more than one solution to a design dilemma. But there are some basic considerations that need to be thought out before you start designing.
Too often, the overall building footprint and schematic layout of the space are established by the architect or designer to “get a sense of how the space will work”, before the design program is clearly defined. Then schedules and time constraints prevent meaningful rethinking and changes to this plan. The result is a missed opportunity to create a business that can function well and maximize revenue.
Example #1: A new on-mountain restaurant opened at a local ski resort. It has a great location, high traffic and varied terrain attracting a broad market. Perfect for that late morning coffee or Irish coffee break, mid-day cocktails and lunch or end of day snacks and drinks with friends before heading down to the base lodge. You would expect this lodge to have a great bar, ample seating, easy circulation for socializing, and be well equipped and for the expected high volume. Unfortunately, you would be disappointed. There is a small bar tucked in a corner, dead ends limiting social cruising and limited seating. The space allocated to the café works, although it doesn’t allow for any specialty cooking stations which may have added to check averages. You can see from how the customers move around that the circulation is awkward and uncomfortable. Clearly a missed opportunity.
Example #2: A hotel was renovating a meeting room off a large patio and pool deck into a bar and grill. A great idea to create another revenue source in this area. The grill was supported by the main kitchen, so it was essentially a small finishing kitchen. The bar was open to the patio and pool deck. The designer immediately went to work drawing in a bar and kitchen without the benefit of a clearly defined program or operating requirements. The equipment dealer then fitted out the kitchen with basic stuff – cook line, dish area, beverage station – with the understanding that the main kitchen would handle all the prep and general storage. The designer presented the schematic plan to the management team. What could possibly go wrong with this small grill space? Once the concept was fleshed out by the operational team, it was clear that the bar should have been the main feature, larger and centralized. The circulation within the kitchen was awkward with unnecessary cross traffic and the beverage station was split into two areas. Another missed opportunity.
So the questions that come to mind are, “Who developed the design program? Did they understand their market? Was the building footprint or space limited by site conditions and who established the priorities?”
Why did the designer even attempt a schematic design without asking these essential questions?
When the operator raised these issues, the design team stressed that they could make refinements but that time was tight and they needed to get engineering drawings and into the permit process quickly to meet the construction schedule.
The lesson here is to take the time to clearly define your design program and operating requirements. Be sure the design team knows and understands these documents and what your priorities are.
Restaurants must work – front and back of house. Consider how guests move through a space – their first reaction as they enter the restaurant, interact with the host, get to the bar, move to their table, and how servers get from the kitchen to the bar and to tables. Understand the flow of products from receiving through storage, prep, bulk cooking, holding, finishing, plating, service and the return of soiled ware. Think through the support activities that must occur – employee areas, utilities, management, etc.
The guest’s experience and their interaction with the space, other guests and staff is a big topic of conversation in today’s digital, hands-free world. Understand their needs and priorities so you can design a functional space.
If the overall flow of the space does not work, no interior design magic can correct that.
While your Design Program identifies all the needed spaces and ideal sizes (an essential first step), how this puzzle is put together will determine how well it functions.
Take a Seat
Seats are your revenue source. The types of seating, seating mix and table sizes will all impact your guest’s experience. Your financial projections are probably based on the number of seats you have and the anticipated turnover. How you determine your customer counts is outside the scope of this blog but, creating a viable seating plan should be as well thought out as all the other details of your restaurant.
Your seating layout is as much an operational decision as an aesthetic one and it should not be left to the design team alone. It should be guided by your economic model.
Consider the types of seating you want in your restaurant – tables and chairs, booths, banquettes, community tables, “chef’s” table, counter seating, bar height, dining height, as well as chair and table sizes.
Seats versus seating units – Which generates more revenue, 2 deuces or 1 four top? A banquette of several deuce tables that can be combined to serve a larger party or more intimate booths? The number of seating groups or opportunities is a more reasonable measure than the number of seats. 2 deuces and a four top can accommodate 8 people and 3 parties. 2 four tops can accommodate 8 people but only 2 parties. Which is a better mix for your restaurant? There is no standard answer. It is all dependent on your clientele, the size of your typical customer party and the experience you are creating. There are restaurants that have all booths and fixed tables. If you are a party greater than six, they can’t (won’t) combine tables. You sit in two groups. Don’t be quick to dismiss this. This is a successful approach to seating for some concepts.
Think about table and chair sizes. Many seating plans look good on paper until you verify the size of the chairs and tables and realize they are not realistic. We know that many successful restaurant seating schemes are tight and appear unworkable, but do in fact work fine. It is important to design a realistic seating plan with table and chair sizes that reflect your actual selections. It makes sense to mock up your table size and sample chair to see what table spacing you are comfortable with. Tables are available in all sizes. While you may think there are standard sizes – 36” square, 24”x30”, 30”x30”, 48” rounds, etc., - they are readily available in many configurations. Choose a table size that is based on your table setting and method of service. Family style may require larger tables than ala carte service. Many small plates and accessory pieces may also require more room. Simple plating lends itself to smaller tables.
Chair selection also affects your table layout. Arm chairs take more space than side chairs. Chair sizes vary greatly from small 15-18” diameter seats to 24”-30” dining chairs. When viewing the seating plan, confirm that it reflects the chairs and table sizes you have selected. Also be sure that the chairs are shown pulled away from under the table to mimic a person seated.
Critical dimensions impact your seating, as well. Once you have selected your chair and table sizes (not necessarily the specific furniture) you may find that some walls need to be shifted to allow for proper circulation. Pushing and shoving walls to accommodate equipment and seating is common. Don’t get bullied into refraining from moving walls if it eases congestion or gains you seating. Sometimes, moving a wall a few inches can add a row of four tops where deuces once lived!
Once again, it’s your future. Make it work for you.
Selecting and Specifying Equipment?
Service history is a critical factor.
There are many manufacturers that offer similar equipment. Choosing the brand, model and features is more than an exercise in pricing. Sure, availability is important, and certain features may only be offered by a handful of vendors. Your supplier may also have preferred sources and will promote those to benefit from price breaks, freight deals or other up front perks.
However, what you might overlook is the long-term performance and maintenance of the equipment. You may not even know how to evaluate this important consideration. Let me introduce you to your local Authorized Service Agency (ASA). These professionals spend their days dealing with equipment issues. Many of the problems they encounter are the result of improper or negligent operator care and maintenance. But quite a few are also caused by poor equipment design, cheap components, hard to find parts or lack of factory support.
Research your local service agencies and find one or two that have excellent reputations among your restaurateur friends. Meet them personally and ask their opinion of the manufacturers and models you are considering. You will learn quickly which appliances are maintenance headaches, have unresponsive warranty departments or fail to perform as advertised.
Consider installation issues, as well. Pre-installation site inspections are often required by manufacturers to maintain warranties and to schedule factory installation and start-up. Authorized service agencies need to be scheduled for these events either through your equipment dealer or their installation company. On-site assembly of equipment can pose problems before it is even fired up. How well do the components fit together, are parts often missing or broken, are dimensions and assembly instructions accurate? These are issues that are very familiar to service and installation companies and are worth investigating as part of your equipment evaluation.
It is not uncommon to hear installers criticize products that are difficult and time consuming to assemble and install. Shelving systems, walk in coolers and even knocked down worktables fall into this category. These issues add to installation costs and often outweigh any cost saving realized from choosing less expensive equipment.
These ASA’s (authorized service agencies) are valuable partners to your success. Treat them as the professionals they are. They will save your ass on many occasions.
Who Put That There?
How stuff shows up where you don’t expect it.
Everyone on your design and development team has an agenda, priorities or areas they need to focus on. That’s just reality and not an indictment of any professional discipline.
Many different professionals are working on the design and construction of your restaurant. These disciplines are usually coordinated through your architect and any decisions that impact your space planning should be brought to your attention through weekly construction meetings. Unfortunately many of these decisions fly under the radar. They don’t seem consequential to some members of the design team who aren’t thinking of your operational efficiency. Again, not an indictment of any professional, just reality.
Often, in the process of resolving the details of design, your designers communicate among themselves and reach conclusions that may not be in the best interest of your day to day operation. Putting utility meters in a closet may impacts storage. Carving out a room for electrical panels rather than utilizing an available corridor that already has the required clearances takes away valuable space. Putting a control valve in your prep area because that is the most convenient location or mounting disconnects, sensors or other devises on walls where they limit shelving may seem like simple, necessary solutions. But they are not! Hand sinks require soap and paper towel dispensers to be mounted above or near them. Putting fire protection pull station or thermostats above these fixtures limits your available wall space, requiring you to take up valuable adjacent wall space for these fixtures. The location of these required elements and accessories should be reviewed against the kitchen and bar equipment drawings to determine if there are any conflicts with tall equipment, shelving or mobile equipment. And, of course, when in doubt, RFI.
Even the location of light switches, sound control knobs, soap dispensing equipment, hood fire suppression tanks, fire extinguisher cabinets, first aid kit or other seemingly innocuous, but necessary equipment should be reviewed and planned. In an ideal world, these items would be shown on the construction documents. But that is rarely the case.
You need to be made aware of any of these proposed solutions. Don’t accept the, “it’s required by code” or “ there is no other spot for it” response. It is often as easy as moving a control to the other side of a wall, mounting equipment higher on a wall or on a mezzanine level over an area that can have lower ceiling heights.
Space in restaurant kitchens, bars and throughout the restaurant cannot be wasted. Wall space is always a valued commodity. Stay involved and aware of design decisions that will impact your daily operations. Walk the site during construction to check for these details. While it may not be your responsibility (“…what am I paying you for!”), what is easy to fix on paper or early in the construction phase, is very expensive or impossible to undo after construction is completed.
Site Surveys
Existing buildings have secrets you need to uncover!
Don’t be too eager to sign a lease on your “perfect” location. While this is not intended to provide any legal advice (doesn’t everyone say that), experience dictates that there are many red flags that need to be considered when evaluating a potential restaurant space.
Existing buildings, even those that were previously constructed to be a restaurant, need to be vetted by professionals – architect, MEP engineer, structural engineer, courtesy Health Department walk-through – to understand base building issues as well as those that must be addressed to comply with current codes.
With buildings or spaces that you are converting to a restaurant space, many issues – zoning, parking, liquor license availability, noise ordinances, signage restrictions – must be addressed. Change of use or extensive remodeling may trigger building code upgrades, expanded bathrooms and ADA compliance.
Specific areas that frequently need upgrading are clogged waste lines, grease traps, undersized or non-complying utilities – electrical, gas, water line size, existing exhaust hoods, fire rated enclosures for ductwork, between floors, on combustible surfaces or around certain spaces. Structural issues may arise with heavy equipment such as ovens or large appliances. Activities related to restaurant occupancy – dancing or large crowds (concerts) may require a structural review to confirm that the building can accommodate these activities. This is not uncommon!
Rooftop equipment such as air handling units, fans and compressors should all be inspected to determine life expectancy, condition, performance and code compliance. Available space on the roof for added equipment such as remote compressors or added air handling equipment should be confirmed. Here, too, structural support for this equipment should be checked.
The roof should be inspected for overall structural and waterproof integrity.
If there is occupied space below or above your potential space, how do you access and work in this space during construction to install utilities (floor drains and floor sinks, utility conduits, ductwork)? Your working hours may be restricted. Additionally, with other tenants above or below, noise abatement and waterproofing of the floors may be a requirement.
And then there is the issue of who pays for what. Repairing roofs, replacing or repairing mechanical systems, upgrading utilities are all expensive. Your lease negotiator should address these potential costs with your landlord and clearly establish what falls under the landlord’s work and expense.
There is often an eagerness to tie down a space before it gets away, but due diligence in the early planning stages, including thorough lease negotiations with proper counsel, will save you time and a lot of money.
It Doesn’t Have to be This Way
The conflict between kitchen equipment and interior design
You want your restaurant to have the image, aesthetic, look and appeal that matches your concept. We get it. And there will always be push and pull between form and function. But it is essential that these two design teams work together.
Food service drawings are often the lonely stepchild of the CD (construction document) set. They are frequently not even included in the master drawing set on site or in the set presented to the Building Department. Health Department review is often a separate process.
As your design develops, and the design of the kitchen, bar and service areas takes shape, walls and spaces are frequently shifted to accommodate equipment. These dimensional adjustments need to be reflected on the architectural backgrounds for all design team members to reference. Additionally, the specified equipment can be unappealing to the design aesthetic – tall coffee brewers, stainless steel finish on appliances, commercial equipment at server stations in the dining areas. These “conflicts” need to be discussed and resolved, not ignored. Draft towers, espresso machines, under counter equipment, stepped liquor storage, POS equipment and similar equipment need to be included in interior design elevations and details. Equipment at server stations needs to be accurately sized and presented so that owners can understand the impact it has on the overall design.
A frequent issue is the height and depth of commercial equipment under work counters and, specifically, back bars. Many Health codes require casters, 4” -6” legs or curbs under back bar coolers. Back bar coolers can be fixed in place (front access or remote refrigeration) with back bar counters bearing on these coolers. Some operators prefer to have these coolers removable for cleaning and maintenance. This requires support legs or brackets to hold up the back bar counter. These supports and the edge detail of the back bar counter need to be coordinated with the back bar cooler locations and heights. Failure to work together may result in equipment not fitting under back bars or doors not able to open. This, unfortunately, is a common problem.
Functionality is essential for a restaurant to be successful. It saves time and labor. Operators need space at host stands for menus, phones and reservation technology. Server stations need to be located strategically in dining areas and sized to accommodate necessary accessories. The design team must understand these requirements.
Insist that the interior design drawings, details/sections and renderings accurately show this equipment. This will save you from many painful, unintended consequences.
When in Doubt, RFI
We all make mistakes, forget something, fail to coordinate. Fortunately, our work is not life threatening. But these omissions can create the potential for delays and increased costs. Rushing to complete a project, pushing to meet a schedule or making assumptions about the design intent will usually lead to errors.
There is a simple tool to avoid these problems: the “RFI”. Simply, a Request for Information. Coordination is the Achilles’ heel of construction. When the mechanical drawings show a floor drain and the food service rough-in drawings show a floor sink, which do you install? If there are no dimensions showing the location of the exhaust hoods, do you scale off the drawings? If so, which one – food service, architectural, mechanical? It is easier, faster and certainly more expedient to pick one and move on and then claim you were following the dominant trade’s documents. Lazy response! Missing a dimension, unsure of a wall detail or not clear about who is providing a finish material? RFIs are the tool of choice. Insist that the GC and his trades “do not scale” your documents to determine dimensions. The correct and smart approach would be to simply issue an RFI to get the correct answer. It is easy, fast and will prevent errors and redundant work, when your assumption proves wrong.
RFI’s are formal documents that demand a formal response from the architect, a member of the design team or the owner or owner’s representative. Don’t be intimidated by this paperwork or feel that your project is too small to follow such a structured protocol. Casual procedures on a jobsite often result in errors. These errors, whether dimensional busts, missing utilities or finish discrepancies can impact the fit of equipment, code violations or the overall design and aesthetic of your restaurant.
Require that your General Contractor issue RFIs for any field questions that are unclear. Your team has a responsibility to respond to all RFIs quickly and clearly. Your construction will proceed smoothly and you will get the design you paid for.
It’s Not All Plug and Play
How and where you buy your equipment matters.
There are many appliances and pieces of equipment that can be easily uncrated, assembled and set in place, plugged into a receptacle or connected to a gas line and turned on. Some may need local calibration (thermostats, water or gas pressure, added filters, etc.) or levelling. This equipment is easily purchased online or from local dealer showrooms. Some of this equipment requires “lift gate’ delivery and a few people to move it into the restaurant, but other than that, many operators source their replacement equipment in this manner and have no issues.
Then there are the more sophisticated appliances that require pre-delivery site visits by authorized installers, factory-authorized installation, or start-up and training by factory representatives. These include Combi Ovens, some steamers, espresso machines, specialty machines (pasta, ice cream), bake ovens. Don’t compromise the warranty or performance of this equipment by skipping these essential activities.
In most remodels, renovations and new construction, there is a need for custom fabricated items - soiled and clean dish tables, some work tables, pass/expo shelves, etc. Some of these items require custom accessories – sheet pan slides, rack shelves, trash cut-outs, penetrations for other utilities. These often require accurate field measurements and coordination to properly size and locate the accessories and penetrations, or to fit between walls or notch around columns.
The equipment you will specify and purchase for your restaurant will probably fall into all of these categories. You may ask yourself, ‘why pay the premium to a supplier/dealer to handle all of my equipment, when there may be a portion of my equipment that I can handle with my own staff and save a lot of money?’
Here are your options. You can decide what works for you.
1. Responsibility – Equipment vendors and suppliers take responsibility for the equipment they are contracted to purchase, stage, deliver and install for you. The stuff you purchase becomes your responsibility. You buy it, handle receiving, inspection for damage, freight claims, uncrating, assembly and setting in place for final connections by the trades. Having equipment delivered directly to a job site is always bad idea. The General Contractor will usually not take responsibility for receiving, checking for damage or storing prior to installation. And, deliveries are rarely accurately scheduled. Heavy equipment may require a lift gate or forklift on site to off-load from the delivery truck. This is not the responsibility of the driver. If you are comfortable managing the receiving, off-loading, staging, uncrating and moving equipment into place, this may work for you. You could contract with your installer to handle these “self-purchased” items, but there will be costs involved that may offset your potential savings.
2. Coordination – Owner provided equipment often falls outside the scope of work performed by the General Contractor and your primary equipment supplier. This leaves the details of coordination for your owner provided items – delivery, field measuring, verification of utilities - to you and your team who may have limited or no experience with this side of the business.
3. Time – What is your time worth? There are many details of opening a restaurant that will require your attention. Is it worth your time and energy to deal with equipment deliveries and installation or is your time better spent on the pre-opening operational details of your restaurant? Your call.
Consider the big picture and plan accordingly. You may think you are saving money by handling some of your equipment on your own, but there are trade-offs.