Tag Archives: Restaurant Construction

7 Elements of Great Restaurant Design

Posted on by

Whether you are expanding your current space, moving to a larger one, or building another location, you want your restaurant to be great in all aspects. So, be sure you stay focused on optimal restaurant design when you begin to plan your upcoming construction project. Continue reading to learn the 7 elements of a great restaurant design plan so you may better develop your ultimate vision.

Indiana Restaurant Commercial Construction
Indiana Restaurant Commercial Construction 317-253-0531

Restaurant Design and Construction

There is a lot more to building a new restaurant. You must obtain financing, procure real estate, secure a lease, and much more. But then the fun part comes into play: designing your restaurant for optimal performance, durability, and appeal. You can customize and create a space that is entirely symbolic of your business’s overall culture, and therefore, set yourself up for years of success. In order to streamline and meet your restaurant design objectives, keep your focus on the fundamental elements of superior and successful restaurant space. These include key spaces, lighting, décor, seating, assemblage lines, HVAC, and of course, building codes.

Key Spaces

You want to start with a foundation when developing a layout of your restaurant. Do this by first focusing on the key spaces within, such as the entrance/waiting area, kitchen, dining area, restrooms, and if applicable, bar. The general rule of thumb in the restaurant construction industry suggests dedicated around 35 to 40% of the floor plan for the kitchen. Restrooms are generally designed near kitchens because they usually share plumbing and water lines, which helps cut costs.

Lighting

Lighting is truly everything when it comes to both interior and exterior spaces of a restaurant. Not just for ambience, proper lighting is also important for liability purposes. Talk to your design build contractor for advice on choosing adequate and decorative lighting options for your space. Keep your focus on ambient lighting for setting the mood, task lighting for your crews in the kitchen, and outdoor lighting for safety and accenting features.

Seating

Seating is a big factor when it comes to designing your restaurant’s interior and exterior spaces. You want to ensure you have enough seating to accommodate your crowds, but you also do not want to overcrowd your floor. Spacious seating is relaxing, but seating that is too sparse looks cold and uninviting. Furthermore, you want to have plans for bad seating areas, such as tables located near doorways, busser stations, restrooms, or the kitchen. Features like wooden partitions, gates, and half walls are common solutions that also provide aesthetic appeal.

Décor

Just as important as lighting, décor can really set the mood and reveal what your restaurant’s them and culture is. Think about the paint colors that speak the most to the type of ambience and environment you want to create, as well as focal features, artwork, furniture, plants, drapes, curtains, garage doors, and more.

Assembly Lines

As a restaurant, your kitchen is a vital element to your overall success. One way to ensure a great kitchen design is to put a lot of thought into your assembly lines. Efficient and organized kitchens are the most successful, and the safest. Consider spaces for food preparation, food storage, cooking, carryout, plating, and waiter pick up.

HVAC

When you go out to eat as a patron, whether you are sitting down for fine dining or a lunchtime sub, comfort is important. Too hot, and you are uncomfortable, but too cold and you can’t enjoy your food. Be sure you have a focus on a sufficient heating and cooling system, as well as kitchen hood ventilation, and more.

Building Codes

Building codes are important because they are the law, and they are the law for very good reasons. Safety is the number one reason why building codes exist and are upheld so strictly, but they are also meant to serve as investment security and protection. Be sure you choose your commercial construction company wisely for restaurant design build, or your project might not be up to code as it should. This could lead to fines, penalties, catastrophic disasters, and costly renovations.

Are you interested in learning more about your options for restaurant design build in Indiana? Contact BAF Corporation at 317-253-0531 for professional restaurant and food service construction in Indianapolis. We serve all commercial and industrial clients.

You Should Also Like:

Modern Construction Ideas to Increase Restaurant Business
Ghost Kitchen Construction Costs and Considerations for Food Delivery
4 Reasons to Hire a Turnkey Commercial Construction Contractor

Indianapolis Commercial General Contracting and Design Build Services
Contact Us Today 317-253-0531

Ghost Kitchen Construction Costs and Considerations for Food Delivery

Posted on by

A current and profitable trend in the food service industry is the addition of delivery service, usually through popular apps like Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash. But in order for restaurants, bakeries, and cafes to keep up with their current customer demands while also providing quality takeout and delivery, a second commercial kitchen space is often necessary. Enter the ghost kitchen.

Commercial real estate developers are highly supportive of the ghost kitchen food delivery approach, and even encourage the use of vacant shopping mall space as a central hub for ghost kitchen construction. Not only does a ghost kitchen give restaurants the added space and organization needed to meet the demands of their amassing food delivery orders, it allows them to also remain profitable while operating both sides of the business.

If you are restaurant owner in need of extra space for your growing food delivery market, a ghost kitchen might be the answer. Continue reading to learn the top construction costs and considerations for adding a second commercial kitchen location for food delivery, including where to get a free consultation with an esteemed commercial contracting company near you.

Indiana Food Service Restaurant Construction Pros 317-253-0531
Indiana Food Service Restaurant Construction Pros 317-253-0531

Why Shopping Malls?

Shopping malls often have too many vacancies, so they are eager to fill their units and even allow tenant improvements. For this reason, it is common to land a flexible lease at an affordable cost at a shopping mall. Furthermore, shopping malls are generally located in a central area, giving food delivery service an advantage in terms of delivery times and ease of operation.

Top Construction Considerations:

☑ Infrastructure Complexities

When designing a commercial ghost kitchen, there is an automatic need for more power, water, waste, and similar mechanical infrastructure intricacies. This need is not impacted by the size of the space nor business, nor the rate of traffic coming through it. So, when you opt for a vacant space to build a ghost kitchen, be prepared to have to upgrade existing utility lines, such as the ones just mentioned, to properly meet the needs of a food preparation and delivery service.

☑ Layout Constraints

Not all spaces are properly set up for the required water, waste, and gas lines needed to operate a successful commercial kitchen. This means that you might need to reconstruct your space so that the access points to these lines and more are compatible when installing commercial kitchen fixtures, equipment, and other utilities.

☑ Mechanical Fixed Costs

There are certain fixed costs in terms of the mechanical infrastructure of a ghost kitchen; fixed costs that cannot be avoided. So, when looking for a unit for your ghost kitchen, especially if inside a shopping mall, it is beneficial to choose one with a compatible mechanical infrastructure, such as a second generation food service or restaurant space. This will help expedite the construction process, plus lower overall costs, since most water, waste, and gas lines are already set up, as well as, fire suppression systems, hood systems, cook lines, ductwork, and more. However, most of the time, spaces are blank slates that require construction and design.

Central Indiana Restaurant Construction You Can Trust

Contact BAF Corporation at 317-253-0531 to learn how our Indianapolis general contractors can help you achieve your restaurant and food service construction goals. We provide full-service general contracting and restaurant construction building services for commercial, corporate, industrial, and franchise industries in Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding districts. Why choose us? We operate as your single source of contact, which reduces your burden, plus ensures clear and concise client-contractor communication, turnkey service, and custom-tailored results. Call our office today to discuss your commercial construction needs, today.

Indianapolis Commercial General Contracting and Design Build Services
Contact Us Today 317-253-0531