By Judy Henderson We’ve all been to a themed restaurant; perhaps you’ve salivated over smoked beef brisket served by a gentleman resembling John Wayne, or you’ve tucked into moussaka beside a mural depicting Santorini on the Aegean Sea. There’s certainly a place for these kinds of restaurants but as a modern hospitality designer, I tend […]
By Judy Henderson As hospitality designers, it’s our job to provide clients with a finished space that looks current. In my view, we also need to create a design that will stand the test of time and provide the client with true value. The photo above is a restaurant project my firm did in 2006. […]
By Judy Henderson When staying at a hotel and on the look out for a good spot to eat, I always check with the concierge. If their reply is “we have a great restaurant”, that’s when I run a mile in the other direction. Hotel restaurants tend to be buried on an upper level and […]
By Judy Henderson We’ve already covered starting, planning and designing your restaurant’s renovation. The day will come during that process when the kitchen falls silent (hopefully your chefs are testing a new menu in another working kitchen) and construction starts. As the sledge hammer makes its mark on the walls, you’ll be glad you spent […]
By Judy Henderson Last time, we discussed the importance of planning for your restaurant renovation. Hopefully you heeded my warning – failing to plan is planning to fail. So, your work-back schedule is gently optimistic, the bar is perfectly positioned and scaled to the size of the space, and you’ve established a flow for the […]
By Judy Henderson Planning a restaurant renovation is the key to success — miss this step at your peril. This process, conducted every seven to 10 years, will keep your restaurant in the game. Here are some things to consider when making your plan: Timing This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many […]
By Judy Henderson If your restaurant is going to survive, you’re going to need to complete a renovation every seven to 10 years. I’m not talking about replacing the fabric on an existing banquet or adding an Edison bulb to an old pendent fixture – that’s maintenance. A renovation is more extensive; a rethink of […]
