|
Current economic conditions are causing operators of commercial food & beverage facilities, not the least of which are Hotels, Restaurants and Casinos, to concentrate their efforts on making certain that their current facilities are fresh looking, operationally cost and environmentally efficient. This translates into the owner looking at the need to renovate the property. When planning a new Food, Beverage & Laundry facility you begin with a space that in most cases allows you to fill in the blanks. With a Renovation the space comes with existing conditions that need to be addressed and which can open a whole can of worms. It is not just a matter of replacing some old pieces of equipment, fixing some floor tile and adding a fresh coat of paint. Renovations involve more than just the removal of existing facilities, in whole or in part, and making minor repairs etc. Knowing in advance what �Must� be done and carefully evaluating, budgeting, and coordinating with the right Team will provide many benefits to the Owner, not the least of which is avoiding surprises that could be very costly and cause unexpected delays. The information contained herein describes some of the issues that need to be considered and some recommendations as to how to proceed in an orderly manner. Questions that need to be answered at the start: 1. What is the purpose of the Renovation? a) Just a face lift?2. What changes are planned for the front end, that will affect the back of the House operation? 3. What is the condition of both the facility and existing equipment? a) What will it cost to repair as opposed to replace? (keep in mind that if for any reason some equipment will remain but may have to be removed to make wall and other repairs, connection gaskets and other parts may break during this process an render the items un-repairable)e) What will need to be done to bring the new facility up to current Code requirements? f) Will the existing HVAC support the changes planned? g) Is the current fire safety system connected properly to the Hotel/Casino System? (In older properties this is a serious consideration and presents a whole different set of concerns) 4. Is there a set of �As Built� plans available for planning, as well as Governmental permitting purposes? How do you address these questions so as to proceed in an orderly fashion? 1. Due Diligence In order to have a full understanding of what you may be in for, before
starting the project select an experienced kitchen planning and equipment
company to do a Due Diligence Study of the existing site. From experience
I can tell you that this will be one of the best investments you have ever
made and will save you many dollars, as well as problems as the project
unfolds.
Choose an experienced Team, including, an Architect, G/C, MEP, HVAC
and a KEC (who is a full service planning and equipment specialist with
full knowledge of the kinds of issues described earlier), including current
local Governmental Code requirements, as well as ADA and who has experience
in working with the agencies involved.
|
