You’ve decided to build your restaurant up from scratch. Not only will it be new, but you also want it in a good area in the city to gain customers. There are always many challenges when building something new such as meeting codes, making sure you don’t go over your budget, and managing contractors.
Building restaurants in specific can be extra challenging because constructing it involves several extra obstacles. To have a successful restaurant up and running, you need to make sure that you hire employees that are willing to work with great customer service experience – and that everyone follows the right protocols for health regulations and specific restaurant building codes. In some instances, even getting advice from professional and experienced construction companies may not give you a detailed picture. You’ll need to make sure you do a lot of research and possibly get some extra guidance; that way, you are more than ready for any challenges that might come your way during the construction process.
How To Avoid Common Construction Hazards
The first step you will want to take is to look for a construction company or contractor who has employees designing restaurants. A company that only offers standard construction expertise will be helpful but not good enough to successfully design and build a new restaurant. Some common challenges you will face when building a new restaurant can be estimating the budget correctly and how long construction time will take. Going over the budget or construction taking longer than expected is not uncommon. It would help if you considered getting multiple views from experts on major aspects of the building to understand better your expenses and how long it will take. You shouldn’t necessarily believe the first quote you receive. Contractors are always under pressure to work fast and below budget.
Both health and building inspectors will be stricter about codes when it comes to restaurants. You want to make sure not to skirt building codes and that whoever is involved in this project knows when your restaurant’s design may not be up to par when designing and building it. If not, you can risk the deep costs of not being up to code by getting fees and fines or having your restaurant’s construction come to a stop.
Long-Term Effects Of Design Decisions
There are no cutting corners and saving when designing and planning the creation of a new restaurant. Consequences will usually come down the line if you do end up going the cheap route. An example can be buying used equipment from a kitchen, which typically comes with no warranty, meaning if you lose or break that equipment, you’ll be out the full cost of repairing or replacing. You also want to keep an eye out for the potential unintended consequences of your design decisions. An example of this is the noise inside of a restaurant. Over the past few years, restaurants have become extremely loud, with an average loudness of 80 decibels. That type of noise level is loud enough to cause hearing damage. Design trends, including high, exposed ceilings, minimal décor, and lack of soft surfaces, are the main causes of noise levels. All of this comes together to create areas with lots of sounds.
Design experts and contractors with experience in this type of construction will give you feedback on your design and help you catch any high noise levels before building.
Advice On Field Restaurant-Specific Design
Getting advice from potential restaurant workers during the design process is also important. An example can be talking to a line cook or head chef because they might tell you whether a specific kitchen layout will be inefficient or hard to work in. Any bartender or bar manager may catch things missing in a bar design, such as a missing sink or insufficient storage space. Someone with experience in the food and beverage industry can also tell you which materials will be best for kitchens, bars, and food prep sites. Would you rather use stainless steel and seamless walls for your kitchen, or do you want recommendations on what materials and designs are food-safe?
You will get advice from other experts, but at the same time, you are going to want to use your best judgment when it comes to making all these decisions. In many cases, space is at a premium in most cities instead of having an oversized kitchen and bar since it can cause less space for guests. Getting both recommendations and opinions from multiple experts will help you with your design and construction.
Working Through The Challenges Of Restaurant Construction
You will always go through different obstacles when constructing a new building, especially if it’s a restaurant. You want to make sure you don’t fall into any common pitfalls in restaurant construction during the design and planning phases. The first step you will take is getting advice and quotes from experienced contractors and construction companies who work specifically in the restaurant field. The next step will be to receive feedback from experienced workers within the food and beverage industry, similar to the type of restaurant you are building.
All in all, building a new restaurant might appear to be an easy and straightforward process, but it takes perseverance, hard work, and dedication. This type of construction is not going to be done overnight. It can take several months to complete permitting and licensing alone. Still, the best thing you can do is hire a reputable company to make it as easy as possible, like Poli Restaurant Construction in Orlando. The only way the process can be completed a little quicker is if a current restaurant is purchased, a new restaurant may take its place in as little as 30 days. There are some decisions to be made, all while staying within your budget, and the right construction or contractor firm should be helping you out every step of the way.
