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Top 5 Tips for Successful Restaurant Construction 2019

Building and planning a restaurant takes a lot of time, skill and effort. Planning a restaurant is not just about classy, stylish design, but rather functional and efficient restaurant operation. Restaurant construction takes time and great attention to detail in order to ensure a successful opening and operation.

If you’re planning a building a future restaurant in Toronto or opening a franchise, here are some tips you should know before you sign with a commercial construction company.

Plan construction schedule accordingly.

Every commercial construction project in Toronto requires an efficient schedule. The first thing you should do before you build a restaurant in Toronto is visualize the type of restaurant you want. Think of the material, style, design, functionality and features that you will need or want your new restaurant to have. A site survey is needed to check the condition of the space that you are looking to renovate and the status of the buildings utilities.

You should first find a suitable location for your future restaurant so the Toronto commercial contractor you choose, has a better idea of how they will factor each aspect into their plans. If your chosen building has other tenants you will need to factor that into your plans so as not to disturb your new neighbors with excessive construction noise. A good contractor will schedule noisy construction around typical peak operating hours.

Focus on Efficiency

Aside from the style of the dining room area, the other restaurant area you should focus your time on is the kitchen area. This is a great spot to get your employees involved, ask the kitchen staff and chefs what they need to be more efficient at work. The kitchen should be laid out in a way that puts a large emphasis on efficiency during food preparation. Functional stations and a good amount of space helps prevent kitchen staff from running into one another during busy times.

Have your construction plans reviewed

Contact a local building inspector to review your plans for errors or potential mistakes. The restaurant must follow local fire safety requirements, building codes, and health codes. A local building inspector might find that you have missed an important aspect in your plans which could put you at risk for a building code violation.

Set a realistic schedule

Restaurant construction is usually completed within 3 to 6 months depending on the size and depth of the work. You should also take into account the possible lead time for building materials, products, and possible inclement weather which can delay your project.

Only use a trusted contractor

Look in your area for a reliable, reputable contractor who specializes in your construction type. Whether it is retail construction, restaurant construction, or commercial construction. You should look for a contractor that has extensive experience in restaurant fit-ups, design and construction. These types of contractors understand the common problems that can come when constructing a new restaurant and can help you navigate these issues so the project doesn’t waste time.

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Top 4 Design Tips for Restaurant Owners in 2019

Finding premium restaurant space in Toronto, can be difficult depending on your budget. Since commercial real estate is becoming increasingly harder to find, Restaurants are having to use smaller, more compact commercial units.

While renovating smaller units in Toronto can be stressful at first – with some planning, ambition and creativity you can organize and streamline your project to make construction as efficient as possible.

With the skill of design and organization, you can maximize the available commercial space to best suit your needs. The following tips can be used to help you improve your potential design and boost customer satisfaction:

Front / Entrance:

The front entrance of your restaurant should be one of the final areas of your design plan. As many restaurant owners make the mistake of running out of kitchen space in the planning stage, leaving the front entrance for the final area to design this will make sure your main priorities are covered.

However, this isn’t a way of saying the front entrance is any less important! In our opinion, the front entrance is one of the most important areas to design as it is the best way to impress your customers. This area should clearly represent your restaurant’s brand, your front entrance and main waiting area should be able to impress your customers with a warm, memorable and welcoming area.

Main Dining / Bar Area:

Standard design rules usually have the main dining area as 60-65% of your restaurant’s whole floor plan.

This area of your new restaurant should mainly focus on providing your customers with comfortable, inviting seating layout with large walking areas in between for your staff to safely transport food and beverages to the customers table.

As mixed seating options can help make the most of your given space, adding a variety of trendy counter-top tables around the perimeter will provide plenty of seating accommodation. This will also free up a lot of centre space for additional tables and/or booth options.

The Kitchen / Food Prep Area:

While your main dining area of your restaurant should be approximately 60% of your floor plan, the remaining 30-40% is best used for the “engine” of your restaurant – the kitchen! The kitchen is one of the most important areas of your restaurant as the food is ultimately what your customers are there for.

Designing your kitchen to be spacious with all of the necessary food equipment allows your chefs/cooks to work their magic – providing your customers with a memorable and delicious experience. Designing your kitchen well also helps reduce the risk of accidents or injuries as your staff is not running into each other while they prepare food. This helps your kitchen staff to navigate the food preparation area without the risk of injuries.

Commercial Washroom Area:

Helpful things to keep in mind when planning your commercial washroom space is:

The current location of plumbing fixtures and hardware
The comfort level of your customers

Firstly, when you place your commercial washrooms near your kitchen, you will save yourself a lot of hassle and unnecessary expenses when it comes to setting up your commercial plumbing and drainage system. Also, you should begin ordering your Toilet partitions and washroom accessories at this time to ensure that they are ready to be installed once construction has completed on your restroom. Our friends over at Specialty Product Hardware (SPH) are Toronto’s commercial washroom experts and can supply, deliver and install all styles of toilet partitions including powder coated metal, plastic laminate, phenolic, solid plastic and stainless steel. They also can provide all washroom accessories such as hand dryers, baby change tables, dispensers, and much more.

Secondly, having a commercial restroom that opens directly into your dining room area might make your customers a little bit uncomfortable and lead to less repeat business. Planning your restrooms in a way that are accessible but not visible from the dining area will ensure that your customers have a pleasant and memorable experience at your new restaurant.

Need more information about your new restaurant? Or maybe you’re looking to start construction? Give us a call at (647) 341-1030 to speak to a Toronto commercial construction specialist in your area.