Gathering around a table of food has always been an important part of the human experience, and while restaurants have had to close their doors during the pandemic – some of them permanently – new opportunities exist for investors and restauranteurs looking to make their culinary mark on our post-pandemic lives and bring renewed energy to what it means to share a meal.

So Much More Than Aesthetics

As we’ve discussed in this post, renovating an existing restaurant can save you significant money compared to conceptualizing and building a brand new space. But renovating a restaurant is not as simple as slapping on some fresh paint and bringing in new linens. There are numerous considerations that extend far beyond aesthetics.

For a restaurant to function safely and efficiently, everything from the wiring and ventilation to installation and safety requirements need to come together seamlessly. Sounds easy, but it’s not. Even restaurants with designs that have been perfectly planned run into hiccups, especially when it comes to equipment.

Commercial kitchen equipment installation needs to mesh both with the life safety requirements (e.g., the fire alarm and sprinkler and other electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems), as well as fit the project’s operational needs. Sometimes (ok, rather often) something goes wrong in this process.

At Seacoast Construction, we’ve been completing restaurant buildouts for more than 20 years, and our experience has taught us to anticipate small challenges like this. Our solution? We wait to close the walls until the right equipment is ultimately installed. This small step goes unnoticed by most but saves us a lot of time, rework effort, and money, which is always a win for our clients.

The Future of Restaurants and What It Means for Your Layout

A big part of renovating restaurant going forward will revolve around how to make guests feel safe and welcome. This may mean redesigning the existing layout to allow for more distancing between tables, creating a separate area for take-out only guests, taking additional measures to increase employee safety, and many more.

Our team at Seacoast Construction is ready to take you through the important steps needed to successfully complete a restaurant renovation – starting with pre-construction

through to completion. For all your commercial construction questions, get in touch today at 786-433-8740.