There have been several times in my career that I have been called in to fix or finish out a design project where the client was trying to do a lot of the design work themself. This can be a costly and often time-consuming mistake on the part of the client. In today’s highly charged hospitality and foodservice environment the client/operator needs all the competitive edge he can get. The requirements and design documentation needed to obtain all the permits needed to build or remodel hospitality facilities is staggering.
The design process can and should be a collaborative effort between the design team and the client. With the right menu, the team can develop an effective foodservice operation, seating arrangement, interior design, and lighting design system for the hospitality project.
My first question to clients when I meet with them for the first time on a new or remodel project is “Do you have a menu or revisions to your existing menu?” This one simple question starts a whole dialogue which provides the information that a designer needs to 1) Develop a scope of work for the foodservice design and potential theme for the “look” and feel of the establishment; and 2)Develop a realistic fee proposal for preliminary design ideas all the way through to final construction documents for permitting and build-out.
Owners of hospitality facilities can realize cost savings by using a qualified designer is several ways: 1)With the right specifications and resourse knowledge the project can stay within the budget; 2) With proper plans and construction documents the general contractor can give “tighter” bids and less guessing or interpretation of incomplete or vague information; and 3)The design fee can be offset by cost savings in FF&E purchasing and construction costs.
The input of a Qualified Hospitality/Foodservice Design Professional, be it a full blown from the ground up project or remodel project, will save you money and time.
This money and time you save can be used for what you the client/operator does best: Running Your Business!
Lu Schildmeyer is the Principal/Owner of LU S Design Associates Visit LU S Design Associates to learn more about our services and how we can help you improve the profitability of your hospitality business. http://www.lusdesignassociates.com
