Choosing the Right Restaurant Contractor
There are several skills and trades involved in constructing a restaurant that are unique to foodservice projects. Outside of the more standard/common plumbing, gas fitting, framing and finishing, HVAC, and electrical work; restaurant contractors must have specialized experience in commercial controls, cooking ventilation systems and make up air systems, and custom black iron and stainless steel metal fabrication to name a few. Restaurant contractors with these specialized skills, and the experience to back it up, will make the building phase a snap.
Here is where the thinking starts. When evaluating and choosing your restaurant contractor, look at timelines in your budget. Commercial leases carry mucho grande per square foot charges these days, so be prepared to pay for a fast restaurant contractor. There is a cost factor that is super involved here…rent! There are many stories about foodservice construction timetables several months past the planned opening date, just ask a restauranteur…4 out of 5 will tell you horror stories of construction schedules months overdue. It is tough to recover from a mess like that, so put value in a proved, tried & tested professional restaurant contractor who will deliver your project on time.
If you are given extra months of construction period allowance by a landlord, don’t think of that as free rent…think of how your restaurant contractor can beat that allowance period, and lower your operating costs by getting you open faster. Factor your construction allowance into your rent costs, and if you can open before the construction allowance is up, that just goes to the bottom line.
Three basic areas of expertise you want your restaurant contractor to have are in business consulting, design, and of course construction management. Business consulting expertise means your restaurant contractor can understand and help you evaluate the costs vs. benefits of the decisions you need to make. Restaurant design expertise means your restaurant contractor understands how things work in a commercial foodservice business, and they can help guide you. Construction management is obvious…who wants a restaurant contractor with no experience. With budgets usually ranging from $150,000 – $1,000,000 and your restaurant contractor responsible for most of it, make sure you choose wisely and put value in their expertise and track record.