As attention turns to the festive season, more and more restaurants and other hospitality businesses are considering how to create immersive and memorable experiences for guests – focussing on everything from the arrival and presentation of their space to the way food is served.
While creating dining experiences has become part and parcel of the secret to running a successful restaurant business in the 21st century, construction is still very much a core part of creating the foundation to support such visions, ideas, and goals. But where should you start when it comes to building a restaurant from the ground up, and what do you need to know before diving into your next construction project?
In this blog post, the we consider some of the most important components of restaurant construction – and share their advice on how to find the best construction company to bring your ideas to life.
Tip 1: Recognise that restaurant construction is a field all on its own
It can be tempting to lean on the expertise and advice of contractors who you already know, perhaps from home renovation work or through the recommendation of friends who used a certain company to build their office or commercial space.
But restaurant construction really is a world of its own – and seeking the right advice from experienced contractors in the correct field is key, especially when it comes to health and safety and all the regulations you need to cover before you can open your business.
When seeking the best construction company for your project, request quotes from a series of companies and assess which one best suits your budget. Beyond that, find out what connections they have with health and safety inspectors for ease of approval further down the line, and compare their proposed timelines for project completion. All of this matters when planning your business launch!
Tip 2: Ask yourself “is this a short term or a long term decision”?
Restaurant design is something that comes way after the construction is complete, however there are certain decisions you might make now which will impact the way you can decorate and dress your restaurant for good. The situation of bathrooms, the kitchen, the bar, all water installations and taps, and doorways are all integral factors in the layout and navigation of your restaurant for staff and customers, and so should be mapped out and considered carefully before finalising any plans.
Don’t opt for any outrageous features yet which might go out of trend or which you may feel interferes with the vibe of the restaurant later down the line.
Tip 3: Listen to advice around potential pitfalls
High ceilings may look great and feel grand, but did you know that they can increase noise levels in your restaurant significantly?
And while placing the bathrooms next to the kitchen might be easier from the floorplan point of view, might the high footfall to both locations create obstacles on busy restaurant evenings?
Construction experts, especially those with experience in the restaurant business, know what they’re talking about when they give you advice. From helping you to avoid potential problems to steering your thoughts clear or future disasters, the more you can heed their advice the easier your project will be to manage.
Tip 4: Think about the impact of construction decisions on the whole team
If you’ve already got a team in place, use them!
Asking your bar manager how they want the bar to be structured and asking the kitchen team about the best placement for fittings, will only serve to make their jobs easier and will help them to nurture an effective and efficient routine to optimise the service they can provide to guests.
The fact is restaurant design and construction are two very different parts of the process as a whole, however paying attention to how one decision will impact another – both immediately and later down the line – is key if you want to get it right first time. Not only will this allow you to open your restaurant on time, but it will save you plenty of money in the long run.
For more advice on restaurant construction and to discuss your own commercial construction project with our team of experts, reach out directly to us or visit our website for more information on our past projects and expertise.