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Page 18 — Retail Properties Quarterly — November 2021 www.crej.com Asphalt Installation & Overlays l Remove & Replace Patching l Concrete Installation l Curb & Gutter & Sidewalks l Infrared Patching l Crack Sealing l Seal Coating l Pavement Marking/Striping “APEX PAVEMENT SOLUTIONS continues to grow in its stature in the paving industry of Colorado. The company has steadily built a solid reputation for high quality and customer service. President Brian Pike leads a dedicated team and we are proud of them as a member company. ” Thomas Peterson, PE. Executive Director, Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association www.apexpvmt.com VISIT US AT:  607 10th Street, Suite 207 l Golden, Colorado 80401 P : 303-273-1417 l E : info@apexpvmt.com SERVICES: PAVING CONCRETE INFRARED PATCHING CRACK SEALING SEAL COAT & STRIPE APEX PAVEMENT SOLUTIONS YOUR ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR ASPHALT & CONCRETE PROJECTS Call or Email for a FREE Estimate Construction W hen thinking about open- ing a restaurant, hiring a general contractor is not necessarily at the fore- front of the mind of the owner, but what if it was maintain- ing the budget and the schedule? Any restauranteur can tell you that opening a new restaurant is no small feat. There are hundreds of items on an owner’s checklist before opening the doors. Of course, there is concept creation, menu development, location and the overall vibe of the interior design. In addition, owners are tasked with managing a diverse group of vendors and making countless business decisions. There are too many proverbial plates to spin for one person, which is why hiring a top-notch team upfront, including a general contractor, with the exper- tise to guide the owner through the experience is critical to suc- cess. Hiring a contractor that has been building restaurants, bars and breweries is imperative for project success. More than just a GC, the contractor serves as a resource to its restaurant owners on everything from operations tips to kitchen lay- out, vendor management, precon- struction and the launch. It may be surprising to learn that many construction considerations should begin before the lease is inked. Getting the design team and the GC on board early is key to a smooth build-out process. Building a restaurant requires a complete understanding of back-of-house and front-of-house operations from the very beginning. When the GC is involved from the get-go, we can support the owner holistically throughout the preconstruction process, which includes discov- ery, site survey, scheduling and budgeting. It is important to select a GC that has time in its workload to truly serve you well. There are a plethora of health department and unique building code requirements when building a restaurant, and the owner should have a partner who has the capacity and experience to get those details right for it. It is important that the GC selected is committed to limiting the number of projects assigned to its superin- tendents for exactly this reason. Whether the preferred restaurant space is in a new or existing build- ing, understanding existing condi- tions during the “discovery phase” is paramount to establishing and maintaining the budget. It may be tempting to venture through the discovery phase without a GC; how- ever, including the GC in this pro- cess is almost guaranteed to save money down the line. It is impor- tant to talk through intricacies including the menu concept with the GC as this will determine the type of equipment that is needed. For example, will there be tempera- ture-controlled wine storage, walk- in freezers, multiple fryers, etc.? The GC chosen will work with the mechanical, electrical and plumb- ing consultant and the architect to confirm that the space will func- tion as intended. Kitchen size, MEP systems, water line size, grease trap capacity, health and fire depart- ment requirements all are consid- ered prior to the GC establishing a conceptual budget. The conceptual budget typically is within 10% to 15% of the final budget and is pow- erful information for the owner to have at kickoff. The addition of necessities like water lines or grease traps or the need to upgrade electrical capacity can add several thousands of dollars per item to the budget and extend the construction timeline significantly. It is the owner’s decision whether to go design-build, meaning the team works in tandem during the design of the restaurant, or design- bid-build, a situation where the architect prepares construction doc- uments prior to bidding, budgeting and building with the GC. Regard- less of delivery method, adding the general contractor to the team early is highly recommend. It will save time and money on the project and will offer an added layer of support and advocacy for the owner. s rsnyder@snyderbuilding.com Hire a general contractor early for restaurant builds Rich Snyder President, Snyder Building Rosy Heart Photo For Green Collective Eatery, Snyder Building worked with the restaurant from the early stages to ensure the project met its design objective and kept it within the budget. The project was designed by Arrow B Architecture and is located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood in Denver. Wheelhouse Commercial is proud to announce the addition of 4350 Wadsworth Boulevard to our growing management portfolio. The property is 52,000 square feet located in Wheat Ridge. Contact us for all of your mid-market commercial real estate needs. 303.219.5888 | wheelhousecommercial.com DENVER’S MID-MARKET CRE EXPERTS