Considerations in Concept Development

From start to finish, concept development takes a team effort.

By Amelia Levin, Associate Editor -- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, 12/1/2006

A new university cafeteria with a scatter or “market” design. A coffee shop serving out-of-this-world doughnuts. A barbecue-grill family restaurant among other family restaurants. These are what John Radchenko, consultant and partner of Van Velzen + Radchenko Design Associates in Toronto, considers “concepts,” or visions seen by an entrepreneur that have come to life through extensive research, careful design and good marketing. That vision could be a completely new type of restaurant, a restaurant similar in function to other successful restaurants but with a different twist, or a redesign of an existing space such as the university cafeteria example. 

Essentially, Radchenko says, there are two critical elements to successful concept development: a clearly outlined, thoroughly researched business plan that a MAS consultant has put together, and a detailed, comprehensive design plan that a kitchen designer or consultant has developed by working with architects and engineers. 

The Role of the MAS Consultant
“A MAS consultant is probably the first person you call when you have a concept or vision,” Radchenko says. That’s where Doug Fisher comes in the picture. A MAS consultant and president of FHG International, a Toronto-based consulting firm, Fisher says a fundamental step in determining where to open a new restaurant is researching markets and choosing the best one in which to set up shop.

Fisher says operators should take into account a few very important considerations when creating a business plan for a concept: the demographics of the people in the neighborhood and their knowledge of and attraction to your concept; the visibility and space of the chosen location; and the number and scope of potential competitors in the area.

The next step is to set up some focus groups with people from the chosen region, Fisher says. Focus group meetings not only give an entrepreneur an idea of the demographics in the area and when and where they like to eat, they also determine how much potential buyers know about the product, and whether it will appeal to them. For example, Fisher says, in Canada, a barbecue restaurant essentially refers to a steak place, not a place where pulled pork and smoked meats are on the menu, which is the norm in certain parts of the United States. An entrepreneur would need to know that, and the potential buyers would need to be clear about the type of the restaurant they might want to try. The same thing goes with any restaurant. “A Chinese restaurant, a Lebanese restaurant — does the customer know what that is, or do we need to educate them?” Fisher says. 

Focus groups essentially test the market to see how well a product will potentially sell. Another test an entrepreneur can conduct before opening up a restaurant is to do some background research on similar restaurants in the area. “If someone has seen a similar restaurant working successfully, yours might,” Fisher says. “You want to see if you have a match. If there are lots of family restaurants in the market, another family restaurant offering a different menu might be attractive to potential buyers.”

With a  well-researched, clearly outlined business plan complete, the design process can begin. “The entrepreneur needs to define the concept clearly so the designer can execute that,” Fisher says.

The Role of the Design Consultant
“Once you have the concept and a MAS consultant has gone through the numbers, the entrepreneur looks to the design consultant to flush out his ideas,” Radchenko says. “Somebody has to take that and then actually do a hard-line drawing in order to follow through on the concept.”

Radchenko explains that a concept design process consists of four critical stages.  In the first stage, consultants conduct thorough meetings with all the players in the project including the owner, architect, engineer and others. At that point, the goal is to create a block diagram of the design that will determine space requirements, flow of the operation and a rough look at the budget. 

During the second stage, which Radchenko refers to as the “design development stage,” consultants create a more detailed floorplan that outlines the necessary equipment as well as the mechanical and electrical requirements. It’s important at this point to work closely with the architects and engineers to make sure the design fits with the type of plumbing, electrical and other systems already in place. “It’s important to understand and stay true to the entrepreneur’s vision,” Radchenko says. 

Stage three entails more drawings, contracts and specifications. Consultants put the finishing touches on their drawings and then tender the documents to be contracted, which involves specifications for equipment, accessories and custom pieces. “At the end, the owner has a very good idea of the flow, equipment, electrical processes, what the countertop looks like, the budget, etc.,” Radchenko says. 

During the construction or administration phase, as Radchenko refers to the fourth stage, the consultant helps the owner price-check the equipment, and award a contract to a kitchen or general contractor. The most important thing a consultant can do at this point, Radchenko says, is to follow through on the administration necessary with the project as it goes through construction. “We follow through on making sure shop drawings match specifications, and coordinating at the construction site,” he says. “Then we follow through the installation, efficiency reports and any on-site service. Sometimes, there are changes that need to be made.”

The End Result
“There’s just a lot of homework that needs to be done when you have a concept or vision,” Radchenko says. He points to the Tim Hortons chain as an example of a concept that turned out to be very successful. “Tim Horton was a hockey player who had a vision of opening up a doughnut house in Canada, and coffee is a good market here,” he says. Horton most likely thought the shop would be a great attraction to customers in the morning who will stop in for breakfast, and they might even come back for lunch or in the afternoon for coffee. 

“From that idea, somebody had to design the facility, and build it,” Radchenko says. “That’s where the homework comes in. And then you need to follow through so the actual construction keeps in line with the vision Tim Horton might have had.”

In the case of Tim Hortons and other chains, an interior designer is an important player as well, says Radchenko. Most people think of the maroon and beige colors when they think of Tim Hortons. If the concept is to be a brand, the entrepreneur needs to determine what the look and color scheme will be and what they would like the overall customer’s experience to be. Usually, the entrepreneur sits down with an interior designer after meeting with a MAS individual and before the design consultant comes in the picture. The designer might do a few sketches of potential looks, and the owner would determine his/her preference. 

“You need a team to make a concept a realty,” Radchenko says. “There’s not just one individual who goes out and starts new ideas by himself.”