By Victor Cardamone – Restaurant kitchen design and operations consultant
In order to provide viable, cost effective solutions for my clients it is important to approach each customer with personalized service that addresses their specific needs. This tends to be an industry with a “cookie cutter” approach and I firmly believe this one size fits all attitude cannot work effectively.
I have worked with many different restaurants from five star hotels and restaurants to casual cafés and fitness centers. In-depth industry knowledge can be leveraged to assist in providing them with the service best suited to their needs. However, I think my role is to help them identify a niche that will set them apart from the competition.
For example when working with a five star chain hotel in Kampala East Africa although it was associated with a global chain it was in a unique country with a far different culture and business approach than you might encounter in the U.S., Europe or the U.K. I worked with them to design several kitchens for a number of individual outlets within the hotel each maintaining a common feel to the brand of the chain, yet still providing an individual design that was well suited to meet or even surpass their elite clientele’s expectations.
All of this had to be achieved staying within tight time and budget restraints. As well when working with a chain you are not just dealing with an individual owner’s expectations. Instead you are dealing with standards set up by the hotel operator’s which means far more red tape than getting approval through one or two partners. Despite the red tape I was able to receive approval allowing them to proceed with the next stage of implementing my designs.
On the other side of the world, my approach with a café and juice bar at a fitness club required the same level of professionalism but with a focus on a far smaller scale. Providing a commercial kitchen work space, the best equipment for their needs and budget as well as functional layouts that allowed for optimal work flow created a profit center for the fitness club as well as a social area that is now considered the “heart” of their business.
As with anything I do it is important to come up with a clear plan and maintain focus throughout the project. This allows my clients to remain confident things will go to plan. Attention to detail is critical to the success of any project and I try to anticipate the needs of my clients in order to help them get through the project easily without feeling overwhelmed. Projects can involve a lot of technical details that might be lost on the layman. I take the time to ensure each client is walked through everything they need from start to finish so there are never any surprises along the way.
I believe my background as a classically trained Chef allows me to identify core issues a first time restaurant owner might not foresee. Providing hands on knowledge lets my clients see they are dealing with someone who is not just functioning as a designer, but as a Chef who has worked on the line and understands work flow. I am an Alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and like to think my niche is providing effective solutions from a chef’s point of view and an entrepreneur’s financial perspective.
With global contacts in all aspects of the food and hospitality industry I am able to provide my clients with products and services they might not otherwise be able to obtain. Each supplier we work with provides exceptional value with effective cost solutions from specialized laundry development consultants to our international logistics partners. Whether we are dealing with hoteliers or restaurateurs we function with a seamless capacity to provide cost effective solutions for projects of any scale globally.
Should you have any questions, please contact me at victor@misedesigns.com
