I am constantly amazed at how little thought is given by restaurant and foodservice operators to the selection of a qualified FOH/BOH facility design professional for their new construction or remodeling projects. I have known clients who have selected a designer or architect just because a friend recommended them because they did such a wonderful job on their house design or remodel.
I have had such an overwhelming response to my first article on this subject that I felt compelled to elaborate further and expand on hoodless kitchen possibilities. I first want to correct one error that was brought to my attention. PizzaInn (not Village Inn) is the parent company for the Hoodless Pie-Five concept I mentioned in my first installment on this subject.
There are some current foodservice concept designs that don’t require a Type 1 or Type 2 hood exhaust system. Only three short years ago, this was not possible. The one that I am most impressed with is Village Inn’s Pie-Five in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. The whole cooking platform is two double-staked ventless tunnel impinger ovens.
A great back bar component of a bar operation is just as important as the front and under bar functions. The back bar usually contains several design components that vary widely according to whether the bar is a class H full liquor license, limited liquor license or a tavern licensed establishment.
An efficient, well-designed bar and back bar area can bring an operation more revenue and keep bartenders, servers and customers happy. Here are some questions that need to be answered to achieve a good bar design:
Updating an existing foodservice concept can be an exciting but challenging task, given the many factors that go into this decision. It is very important to understand what’s driving an operator’s need for change and how that impacts customers’ expectations.
How many times have you eaten at a restaurant or foodservice facility where you had to struggle to read the menu due to poor lighting? Have you ever been to a QSR or fast casual outlet where you had to keep moving your head to avoid lighting “hot spots” to be able to read the menu board?
There are some realities of operating any restaurant or foodservice business that are universal. 1) Excellent hospitality and customer service will always trump good food and drink offerings when it comes to customer retention. 2) The attitude and enthusiasm of an operation’s greeters and servers will be adversely affected if they have to “fight” a poorly functioning design in both the FOH and BOH areas of a foodservice business.
One way to look at a restaurant or foodservice is as a factory in which operators and staff create from raw materials what their customers purchase, enjoy and, hopefully, recommend to spread a positive message about the brand.
The belief that a quarry tile floor is the best flooring system for a professional kitchen or bar service area is a common fallacy. The essential composition of a quarry tile floor helps to create bacteria accumulation and trip/fall situations in kitchen and bar service areas.
