Restaurant Development & Design

July-August 2015

restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.

Issue link: http://rddmag.epubxp.com/i/537805

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 41 of 75

4 0 • r e s t a u r a n t d e v e l o p m e n t + d e s i g n • J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 wainscoting, decora- tive lighting and artwork to accent the stairwell. Staff primarily use the back staircase, which brings up another point: "Your food run- ners need to be in great shape because we have one large kitchen on the second foor, and you have to get your food either up or downstairs," Roger says . Redundancies such as plumbing, back-up refrigeration and a glass washer on each foor, not to mention staffng, generate added costs. For a "high-touch" restaurant like Roofers Union, the sched- ule calls for two general managers during busy weekend nights so they can visit each table. More bartenders are needed as well. "It's like maintaining three dif- ferent restaurants in a way," Betsy says. "Multiple levels create great op- portunities for multiple environments, but they do increase your staffng," Roger says. "You have to create an environment that makes them want to go to a different level, and that's by a different theme or mix of cocktails . . . The more levels you have, the more moving parts there are." In addition to a bar (above) and dining room (right), the second foor houses the kitchen, from which staff run food up and down. Photos by Elizabeth Parker P.F. Chang's Bogotá, Colombia A standalone building is a coveted space for a new restaurant, but when it sits on a busy street its exterior needs to grab guests' attention in order to capture busi- ness. And in a big city with thousands of cars whizzing by all day and limited parking options, it needs to be easily accessible. Such is the case for the 3-story, 13,650-square-foot P.F. Chang's location that opened in June 2013 in Bogotá , Colombia. Because the site is in a sought- after entertainment district at the intersec- tion of two well-traveled roads with lower-level parking available, Mexico- based operating franchisee Alsea took a chance on it for the upscale casual Asian-themed restaurant . Adding curb appeal, however, called for a makeover. The existing building was revamped with an illuminated three-story stair wrapped in a wood trellis, giving the corner restau- rant visibility. Double-height metal screens perforated with the P.F. Chang's bonsai graphic split up across the screens form another exterior attention-getter. "If you're lined up perfectly, the full image of the bonsai is clear, but as you The main dining room on the second level is open along the outer wall to the atrium space and wall of windows beyond. The open space helps the en- ergy of the restaurant to fow between the levels. Photo courtesy of Aria Group Architects Inc.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Restaurant Development & Design - July-August 2015