restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.
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3 6 • 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 • N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 FLOORING P erhaps more than any other restaurant design element, fooring must be chosen with a combination of aesthetics and functionality in mind. It contributes signif- cantly to the overall appearance, conveys branding messages and is the one element that everyone who walks inside — whether guest, employee or supplier — interacts with. What's more, it has to stand up to the abuse of heavy traffc, spills, dropped dishes and daily cleaning. Still another increasingly important consideration is sustainability. Designers and operators will now have an easier time verifying fooring sustainability and VOC emissions claims thanks in part to the recent release of LEED v4 and its new product transparency requirements. The upshot: More manufacturers will begin listing environmental and health data for their products, making "greenwashing" more diffcult. While narrowing fooring searches down to products that check off all of the required boxes means wading through a dizzying array of options, innovative new products that are beautiful, functional and more sustainable abound. Polished con- crete, porcelain tile, luxury vinyl tile and planks, engineered hardwood substitutes, carpet tiles and terrazzo, to name a few of the hottest categories today, all bring unique, updated design possibilities and performance benefts to the table. No matter the category or gen- eral style of product selected, however, professionals recommend that safety be a top priority. The National Floor Safety Institute (NSFI) estimates that more than 3 million foodservice employees and more than 1 million restaurant guests are injured each year from slips and falls, resulting in costs exceeding $2 billion. For this reason, evaluating slip resistance is the frst step toward making smart restaurant fooring decisions. 2015 PRODUCT ISSUE Updated Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring The Grain + Pigment collection from Shaw Hospitality Group is a line of luxury vinyl plank prod- ucts suitable for a variety of applications. The collection features updated wood-grain patterns along with subtly textured near-solid options. It includes natural tones mixed with metallics and colors that range from warm to cool to bright. The products can be mixed and matched to create nuanced transitions with a subtle textural shift or bold contrasts of color. The collection features two styles of plank: a natural wood aesthetic available in 22 colors and a near-solid style available in 12 colors. www.shawhospitalitygroup.com New Brand, 100-Plus Looks Aspecta by Metrofor is a luxury vinyl tile line featuring more than 100 plank, stone and tile looks. Themes include global artisan, island Zen, urban grit, lighter neutrals and naturals, with infuences ranging from punk to Scandinavia. The line comprises woods, linear stone, washed cement, garden stone and tarnished metals as well as an abstract collection of geo- metric designs. Aspecta is suitable for high-traffc restaurant environments. Ceramic bead fnish helps retard scratching while in-register embossing helps hide dirt and scuffng. www.aspectafooring.com