As a restaurant owner, you may have inherited an old restaurant buiding and need to make some necessary restaurant improvements to update your business. These improvements are also great for existing restaurants that have been around a while and need to boost traffic in the door. Below are some of the most common restaurant improvements you should start with so that you maximize the business and efficiency of your restaurant, no matter what theme it is.
Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning
The hoods and exhaust system in your building are some of the most common restaurant improvements that you can get. Commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning is vital to maintain safety and health standards in the kitchen area. These hoods keep the smoke out of the kitchen, and filter out the grease. You do have to clean these hoods almost daily, but over time, they can start to break down and may need to be replaced. Changing the filters are also a part of this process, and you should choose hoods that are more efficient for your restaurant. Some newer ones are safer and also easier to maintain on a daily basis.
Waterproofing Services
The last thing that you need as a restaurant owner is to experience severe water damage. Because restaurants work with a lot of water and also operate in their own building, there is a need for restaurant improvements to include waterproofing services. These designs prevent water from getting trapped in the building and keep the water funneled out of the kitchen for your safety and health. Commercial waterproofing contractors will come into the kitchen area, and the rest of the building to put in things like French drains and other systems to capture and keep water out of your restaurant.
Roof Coating
The roof that you have on your restaurant could be flat, and need some standard maintenance until you can replace it. This is why some restaurant improvements include roof coating in their projects until the entire roof can be replaced. A commercial roof coatings company will come out and cover the roof membrane with this coating before patching or doing a whole replacement. This keeps water out between these layers on the roof, and will even help the roof keep it’s shape during the repair. Any small holes or cracks will be caught and patched so that any potential water damage you’ve already suffered will stop coming in and keep from getting worse.
Lawn Maintenance And Landscape
As a restaurant owner, the outside of your restaurant is just as important as the inside for aesthetic purpose and to draw in more customers. Any restaurant that maintains its lawn regularly will look responsible to customers and show that they care about their establishment. They will feel more confident to eat in the restaurant because the same attention is likely kept inside where the food is made.
A commercial landscape architect can come out to your property and give you some designs for trees, shrubbery and walkways. You want to make sure you have good, healthy mulch on the property to reduce too many weeds, rocks, and seasonal flowers along the structure. They can also assist you with building an irrigation system that will help you maintain this property and keep it updated. Once you have the design laid out, you’ll want to work with a landscaping company to come out and maintain the property for you. They can change out the flowers with each season, so that it’s always fresh and you don’t have dead flowers lying around the property.
Pest Control Maintenance
All restaurants could attract pests because of the amount of food that comes in and out of the area. This is why it’s important to not only clean the restaurant but add pest control to some of the restaurant improvements you’re looking to make in the near future. You can have a commercial pest control company come out and do an initial installation of preventative methods and spray that is safe for restaurants. You can establish a schedule with this company so that they come out each quarter and do another treatment to keep them away. If yo find an infestation at any time, they can come out and safely remove the pests so that you can continue being open. If you try to do these things on your own, you could be closed longer than you wanted.
HVAC System
All restaurants need a quality HVAC system, so that employees are comfortable working in the kitchen vehere there is more heat than other parts of the restaurant. The air conditioning should also work properly in the front of house as a way to keep guests comfortable and happy. This is why commercial air conditioning contractors are called for many restaurant improvements. These systems can cost a lot to replace, especially at the commercial level, so there are a lot of repairs that go into the HVAC systems before they are replaced.
IF you do find yourself having to replace the HVAC system in your restaurant, make sure you go with some of the more energy efficient options. The goal is to reduce the overall cost in the long-term for your property. With a new system, you’ll have to shell out a lot of money up front, but if you get the right system and find the right auto temperature for your restaurant, you can reduce maintenance costs and utility fees over the next decade. Keep in mind that if you need to keep the kitchen cooler, they can install some air conditioners that are just for that area so that the front isn’t as chilly as the back air, and everyone in the restaurant is comfortable.
Upgrade Plumbing
There is a lot of water and plumbing systems going through a restaurant. Water leaks and pipe damage are pretty common, and this is why they make the list for restaurant improvements. Because there is a lot more use in the restrooms and kitchen areas, the piping should be strong, and the drains should be large enough for potential debris coming through. If you need to upgrade your plumbing system to accommodate the different needs you have for your restaurant, it’s time to reach out to a commercial plumbing contractor who candor your repairs and overhaul your current system. This is great to establish a relationship with this contractor so that if you have any future issues, you’ll be able to reach out to them and have them repaired quickly.
Updated Windows
Older restaurants need to have updates in their glass walls, doors, and windows that are found throughout the restaurant. This should be at the top of restaurant improvements because of safety and energy efficiency concerns. Upgrading the glass to be reinforced for high winds is important, especially if you live in an area with a lot of storms that have these high winds. A commerical glass installation contractor will come out and give you the option to put through your restaurant. They will remove the chipped glass and install these new pieces throughout. They can even have them cut to fit any custom sizes you need. Make sure that you keep them clean daily, and if you notice any damage or chipping on the newly installed glass, you reach back out to have someone come and inspect it.
Painting Walls
One of the best things that any restaurant improvement list has is to update the paint in the restaurant. If you’re a new restaurant in an old building, or you’re an older restaurant that is undergoing a new look and branding, fresh paint will bring out that look you’re trying to achieve and catch the eyes of your diners. A commercial painting contractor will come in with the right paint, and can mix it to any color you want so you can be as unique as you like. You should encourage professionals to maintain these processes so that you don’t get paint on appliances or the fair and need to do additional services. You also want your paint to be thick and look great.
When you try to paint on your own, you’re likely to use the wrong kind of paint, and that can be bad for a restaurant. Lots of kids will put their hands on the wall, and you need something that will be easy to clean and last for a long time. Some cheaper paints will keep those stains on the wall, and no matter how clean your restaurant is, it will always look dirty. You want to pay a good price, and get quality work when you have this done.
Renovating Dining Space
There is so much you can do with restaurant improvements in the dining room. First, look at how much space you have and what you’re trying to achieve. The fire Marshall in the area will tell you how many people can be seated safely in that size of a space, so you want to have enough seating for about 25% less of that number. This is because you’ll have to accommodate folks who are waiting to be seated and you don’t want to cause a safety hazard.
Determine if you want a variety of tables and booths. Booths offer privacy, but they can only be on the walls. In the middle space, you need to have tables that are good for large parties, but also leave room for walkways. If you’re planning to have both high top and low top tables, make sure you alternate them so that you can have some in each section for those who may want them, or want to avoid a certain type. What you don’t want is an entire area of high top tables, and have a group come in that aren’t comfortable with those and that’s all that’s left.
The tables and booths that you add to your dining room should be done after the commercial renovation contractor has come in and maximized the space, shifting walls or adding in door frames based on your preference. Choose quality tables and booths that can be refinished when needed. You don’t want wobbly tables that start breaking down just a few months after the renovation. You want to make sure you have room to hang your art work and decorations, also without taking away from the customers.
Upgrade Flooring
You might want to add some new flooring to your kitchen and your dining area for a good restaurant improvement. You’ll want to make sure there is tile in the kitchen to help manage and clean up the water and liquid that could get in the area. When it comes to the dining area, the flooring can be a variety of different options, so choose something that is both waterproof and matches the theme that you want for your dining area.
Update Appliances And Wiring
If you have older appliances in your kitchen, you’ll want to get them upgraded. This could be some you’ve had for years, or also some that you want to remove after you’ve inherited a new restaurant. Opt for some that will fit into your kitchen area safely, and are commercial grade. Residential style appliances will not work for the restaurant industry, even if they are cheaper. You should also consider options that are more energy efficient and make sure you have the wiring available in the building to sustain these appliances.
It is a good idea to have an electrical contractor come out before you start buying them and have the wiring updated to match the electrical needs you’ll have for these appliances. You need to have the most efficient equipment and if the wiring doesn’t accommodate that, you’ll have a lot of lost money in product. Once you have it updated, you’ll know what appliances you can handle.
Embrace These Changes
As a restaurant owner, you’ll find that you need to embrace these changes more and more as time goes on. Make sure you prioritize the ones you need first, and then start a budget to cover the rest as your restaurant continues to bring in more revenue. As you do these improvements, you’ll see that it continues to be successful and help you save money in the years to come.
