CREJ

February 2015 — Retail Properties Quarterly —

Page 21

the road. This includes location, oper-

ability, potential for repurposing, level

of efficiency and spatial needs of the

infrastructure (i.e., electrical, heating,

cooling and make-up air units, grease

exhaust systems, distribution duct

work and grease trap disposal).

Exhaust systems.

Hood and grease

exhaust systems can be particularly

challenging due to their spatial and

infrastructural requirements. Thus,

they should be the primary consider-

ation when determining the viability

of transforming an existing space into

a restaurant.

In Fort Collins, for example, the

roof structure of the building had to

be updated to support the needed

rooftop ventilation equipment. This

necessitated a surgical intervention to

the existing structure, which involved

peeling away a portion of the exterior

walls and roofing.

Also, because grease exhaust must

exit through the roof via a chase, res-

taurants located in multistory build-

ings present more complex issues. If a

chase does not already exist, a vertical

path to the outside must be found or

created, which can be challenging in

historic buildings because structural

modifications are frequently required.

Lighting systems.

Because lighting

solutions are rapidly evolving, design-

ing energy-efficient systems that are

simple and cost-effective, yet allow

for easy upgrading is key. The ability

to take advantage of new technolo-

gies years before a space is ready for

a complete remodel eliminates com-

plex, costly retrofits and keeps opera-

tors happy.

Acoustics.

Restaurant design is often

about creating singular environments

where sound quality is a critical factor

in the success of the business, thus

acoustical strategies and treatments

must be carefully thought out early

in the design phase. If treated as an

afterthought, the addition of acousti-

cal panels or other solutions can not

only be unattractive, but financially

prohibitive.

Historical buildings.

Although reno-

vating neglected historical buildings

often can be a labor of love, preserving

the character of the built environment

within a city can be well worth the

time and money investment (and the

occasional headache!). Because the

city approval process requires approx-

imately four to six weeks, be sure to

involve historic authorities and plan-

ning departments as early as possible

to help align intentions and verify

limitations in a timely manner. Mak-

ing structural modifications to historic

buildings can be challenging because

they can severely alter the character

of the space. However, if handled

carefully, structural interventions can

be cost-effective as well as visually

compelling, even while retaining the

charm of the original. Comprehensive

evaluation of existing elements can

also streamline decisions regarding

what should be retained, modified or

replaced.

A Few Surprises

Substrates.

While assessing the

quality of existing floor substrates is

important, also be aware of unstable

structures and unleveled floors in his-

toric buildings. This will allow prepa-

ration for remediation strategies well

in advance of construction, and bud-

geting for the appropriate solutions. In

one of the locations, for example, the

crew had to implement a number of

structural upgrades to the substrate

of the historical building, ultimately

rebuilding the entire framing to level

the floor.

Long distance.

Opening restaurants

in other cities (both in- and out-of-

state) multiplies the complexities

as well as the challenges. To resolve

this, The Kitchen structured a flexible

design and construction process to fit

a variety of configurations and scales.

Developing efficiencies and finding a

balance between the priorities of bud-

get, brand and what your design can

accommodate is a natural next phase

as more locations are added and geo-

graphical scope expands.

Tips and Recommendations

Delegate to focus on what you love.

Because the operator of The Kitchen

restaurants is very hands-on when it

comes to design, finishes and materi-

als, the team reached a point where

a seasoned professional was needed

to manage projects moving forward.

While co-owner and chef Hugo

Matheson is exceptionally talented in

this area, it became obvious to him

that opening four new restaurants in

less than year, while fun and exciting,

is also extremely time-consuming and

takes him away from what he loves –

being a chef!

Look for efficiencies.

As growth accel-

erated and locations expanded, dis-

covering how to streamline operations

and seek out efficiencies in design

and budgeting became increasingly

critical. Lessons learned about how

to implement these ideas at future

locations helped to accomplish this,

and allowed the development process

and timelines to speed up enabling a

quicker move in. An example of this

involved the back-of-house spaces.

While always striving to create unique

dining experiences for customers

and one-of-a-kind public spaces,

streamlining kitchen operations is

critical. Continually soliciting feedback

regarding materials, adjacencies and

systems from patrons and service

staff helps designers create a better

and more consistent template for the

future.

Plan but be flexible.

It is important

to have a strong design in place prior

to commencing construction, but

be open to changing or evolving the

design as unforeseen elements of

the building are revealed or discov-

ered during demolition. 3-D models

allow for streamlining communica-

tions among teammembers before

construction, therefore minimizing

changes in the field. This was espe-

cially true for the first out-of-state

project in Chicago. Once a high level

of quality control was established, the

design could evolve from one restau-

rant to the next while remaining true

to its meaningful origins.

Restaurant Update

Making structural

modifications to

historic buildings

can be challenging

because they can

severely alter the

character of

the space.