Great news! Our fearless leader John Waters has passed all of his Architecture exams and soon will be a licensed architect in California that will be stamping all Food Facility Design plans that are submitted to the building department and health departments. He just gave us the word that he passed the California Supplemental Exam on 11/14. This new chapter will start taking place once he gets his license certificate from the California Architects Board (Should happen around the first week of December 2022). For legal reasons we must state that he is not an architect yet, but soon will be!
Ever since he was young he loved designing and building things. This step is just another nature step in the process of learning and growth for him and our team to be able to provide you with higher quality restaurant design as well as architecture services in the future.
We sincerely would like to thank all our friends, family, and clients that have help us grow together and all the repeat business and relationships we have formed throughout the years.
As we ease into the holiday season we would like to give thanks to all our clients that have chosen us to be their food Facility design team. This has been a very big year for food Facility design. We have helped open multiple different types of restaurants from high end bars to commissaries and even a designer pet food restaurant!
A few of the projects we have completed in 2019 are listed below…
Raw Munchies is a fullservice designer dog and cat food restaurant for your furry friends. If you are in Encinitas, your puppy will love it!
Riverside Medical Clinic Cafe and Restaurant in Temescal Valley has been completed on time and turned out great! After your check up check out their high quality healthy and tasty menu items in their cafe lounge space.
First and Ivy Downtown San Diego Market and Deli – A new restaurant will be nestled in the back of the First and Ivy Market. Serving sandwiches and pizzas for the Bankers Hill area of San Diego!
Garden of Vegan is bringing new and exciting high quality vegan drinks and food items to Hillcrest San Diego
The Village North Park now open serving high quality vegan health food out of an amazing kitchen. Amazing food and the staff is a great group of people as well.
The process of opening and designing a restaurant or other hospitality operation deals with a lot of unknowns that need to be addressed before the food service design process begins. Through this blog post we will go over a few of the more critical items to consider when checking out a viable foodservice operating facility location. This review can very likely save you time, money, and from the would have, could have, should haves…
The following is a list of conditions/items to review before signing a lease for a new foodservice establishment…
Is the location zoned for a foodservice operation facility
One of the very first items to do is check / verify if the location is zoned for the area to be a restaurant, cafe, bar or other type of foodservice operation. It is the responsibility of the owner to acquire all property information, requirements, and restrictions. This can be done by visiting your local building department and finding the appropriate desk to ask for zoning information. For more complicated foodservice projects, hiring an architecture firm or similar service that can preform a feasibility study on the potential property is always a prudent move. If you are purchasing an existing foodservice establishment, knowing the process of transfer of ownership can save a lot of time and money.
Type of foodservice operation
The type of foodservice facility will factor in the configuration, location, and size of the building. For example if you require a type I Exhaust Hood system you will have to find a way to exhaust the hot grease laden air in a legally allowable way described in the current building code for mechanical ventilation systems. Knowing what is above, on the sides, under, and on the roof will also be important issues to consider. Ventless hoods are an available option in places that are impossible to feasibly vent out to the exterior but are expensive and require filters that will need to be replaced on a regular bases.
Foodservice facilities plumbing requirements
Verify the building has a gas connection or can one be easily installed. In San Diego and most other counties gas appliances are significantly cheaper to run and maintain than their electric counter parts. Know roughly how many plumbing fixtures and if a grease trap will be required. In an existing space, one of more costly aspects of foodservice construction is digging up the floor and running new plumbing connections. Keeping the plumbing fixtures such as hand sinks, water closets, 3 compartment sinks, prep sinks, mop sinks, floor drains, and any other fixture that drains to the sewer system together as much as possible is a great way to keep the cost of foodservice construction down.
Food facilities power requirements
It is always a good idea to verify that the food facility has enough electricity to run all the required electrical foodservice equipment, the mechanical equipment, and the lighting fixtures. 200 amp 3 phase panels will work in most restaurants except for the larger commissary / cafeteria type food facilities will require multiple panels and sub panels. Power can typically be upgraded but in some situations there is a limit. Know roughly how many foodservice equipment items need and any other equipment/fixtures that require an electrical connection . Keep in mind that an electrical engineer or contractor can usually clear things up quickly when doing a site visit. Foodservice Design typical provides the electrical schedule for all the foodservice equipment as well as the rough in power connections.
Foodservice establishment ADA requirements
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements are constantly being added and revised. Knowing the requirements inside a restaurant, bar, or a commissary based on the type of establishment, be that grab and go, sit down dinning, and bars have different requirements for how many bathrooms will be required and how many have to be ADA compliant. In a small restaurant this is critical to size the restaurant for the requirements. In short at the bare minimum, all restaurants are required to have at least one ADA compliant restroom that is accessible by employee’s at all times. Retail areas need to have at least one service counter that is ADA compliant as well. Depending on the restaurant the location of the bathrooms can be a crucial aspect on the design of a foodservice facility.
Owner of the building / Lease Structure
As anyone in the industry can tell you opening up a new foodservice established usually requires a lot of upgrading the existing space structurally, mechanical, and electrically which requires time and money before any actual cooking and serving to customers takes place. Having a lease that secures a few months rent free or some type of agreement with the owner about some the enhancements to the space should always be kept in mind before signing a new lease that requires a significant capital investment into the existing space.
Food service Design, Construction Documents, Permits, & Construction
Before the lease is signed or location secured it makes sense to get an idea of the time frame from then on until the project is complete and the doors are open. Depending on the health department, building department, and other authorities having jurisdiction, a seemly small scope of work can take months to be permitted and constructed. The size, complexity, and specifications for the foodservice facility will also factor into the time frame of design, permitting, and construction. With that in mind it is always a good to have a contractor and a foodservice design company one can consult that knows the process from start to finish.
