subject: A Catering Design Consultant Can't Work Miracles! [print this page] A good catering design consultant can make a modest budget go a long way but they can't work miracles!
There is no point in creating a high profile cafe, restaurant or bar unless the product and service behind it lives up to the reputation promised.
The starting point for a new business and to a large extent one that you want to revamp, rebuild or revitalize is similar.
Arguably a good business can do well without good design; but if you want instant recognition to either launch a new project or to revamp, revitalize or rebuild an old business then a good design is vital. Without them you will have to rely on a top product and accept slow growth obtained through a combination of word of mouth and marketing.
If you get any aspect wrong then customers are unlikely to forgive you.
Also it's common for people to underestimate the amount of time it can take to produce a well thought out design and ;lastly people generally do not do know enough about their business and are unwilling to spend any money doing so.
In a nutshell they fail to plan!
A good catering design consultant can make a modest budget go quite a long way but they can't work miracles!
The key to making your investment in design work is to know your business and do your research.
Once you begin to define exactly what your restaurant is going to be, you'll face an incredible number of design choices: the architecture of the room, lighting, colour, flooring, signage, uniforms, and so forth and these are just a few of the aesthetic decisions to be made. You are likely to employ professionals to help with some or all of these (and countless other) areas.
One area of design that must be addressed is the kitchen, including the storage, food preparation, and receiving area, bars counters and service stations. When deciding how best to address these areas, you should be aware of all the options available to you, along with the pros and cons of each.
Wherever food is served in quantity specialised systems are needed. The style of food, volume of customers and objectives of the business all determine the type of lay-out and combination of equipment needed.
Also the calculation of space required is critical and also very complex as it is dependent on a mixture of influencing factors including:
* Volume of meals served
* Average dwell time
* Seat turnover
* Time over which the meals will be served
* Size of menu
* Complexity of individual menu items
* Style of service
* Mix of fresh and convenience food production
* Number of type and size of dining facilities served by the kitchen (e.g. restaurants, floors)
* Type of cooking methods to be used
* Structural features of the building
* Cost of floor space in the planned facility
In recent years there has been a growing awareness that some methods, when combined with some types of food, carry increased risks if the most rigorous hygiene standards are not adopted, this needs to be taken into consideration in the design project.
Likewise, wrong decisions about equipment can seriously affect other aspects of food service causing, for example, slow service, poor quality, increased labour costs or high energy costs.
All those involved in a design project, including your catering design consultant should be aware of the business, structural, service, and statutory requirements, and that if any doubt at all exists, specialist advice must be sought. This may range from business design and development specialists through to kitchen designers, architects, structural engineers and even authorities such as the Environment Health and Fire Brigade.
Briefing a catering design consultant is a skill few acquire and so most designers end up being told to copy someone else's idea - almost invariably with poor results.
A thorough and articulate operating and design brief is a critical part of the design process. It helps develop trust and understanding between the client and designer - and serves as an essential point of reference for both parties.
If you are not confident about doing this, hire a food and beverage consultant to help you write a proper operating and design brief. Then you can let your catering design consultant have free creative control within set boundaries and know what you will have to pay them.
Money spent in this way may save you a small fortune.
