Renovating a restaurant is different from other building upgrades. Business owners who move into the food service industry soon learn that there are more rules and regulations governing restaurants than they ever could have guessed. When it’s time to renovate your restaurant, you need an experienced commercial contractor to ensure all your needs are met and that you comply with all applicable regulations. Luckily, you have the team at Pro Plus Services to assist you. We’ve been working with commercial customers in Massachusetts for decades, so we’re familiar with the rules surrounding restaurant renovation.
The first step in your restaurant renovation is finding the right commercial contractor. Here are the steps that follow your decision to work with Pro Plus Services.
Restaurant Code Requirements
Health codes cover much more than the rules of food handling. Everything in your restaurant must be food-safe. That includes ventilation and exhaust systems, fire suppression systems, plumbing, and ADA accessibility standards, among other things. Violating any of these regulations can result in hefty fines and expensive do-overs, so it’s imperative to get it right the first time.
Kitchen Layout & Workflow Optimization
If you thought the layout of your home kitchen was important, that’s nothing compared to a commercial kitchen. You need an efficient prep-to-service flow to avoid bottlenecks. The placement of your refrigeration and cooking equipment should allow easy access so your kitchen staff don’t waste time wending their way through the kitchen whenever they need to move ingredients to the prep area.
Dining Area & Customer Experience
Once your kitchen layout is squared away, it’s time to think about the dining room. Your dining area design should prioritize customer experience and allow your waitstaff to work efficiently. Think about the space between tables, lighting for ambience, and acoustic control. You don’t want diners to be able to overhear a conversation at the next table, but you also don’t want the din to get so loud that your customers can’t hear themselves think. It’s a balancing act that’s difficult to get just right.
Electrical & Plumbing Upgrades
Whether your restaurant is in a historic building or a relatively new construction, the plumbing needs to be up to scratch. Ensure your plumbing has the capacity to support modern kitchen equipment and that grease traps are installed properly. Energy-efficient lighting and water-efficient fixtures will reduce your utility bills and keep everything running smoothly.
Budgeting, Downtime & ROI
They say you have to spend money to make money, but you can only spend so much before your renovation costs more than it’s worth. Set your budget before you begin and stick to it. Use a phased construction approach to minimize downtime and full closures. If possible, keep the kitchen open during the dining area renovation so you can continue offering takeout. Temporary service setups will allow your kitchen to remain open while you install new appliances and equipment. Discuss clear project timelines with your commercial contractor so you know what to expect. Communicating with your employees and customers is also crucial, so everyone knows when you will be fully open and when you will be partially or fully closed.
