Restaurant Design, Foodservice Planning, Lighting Design, Hospitality Design

16 Important Points To Consider
Before You Hire A Hospitality / Food Service Design Consultant

By Lu Schildmeyer

1. OBJECTIVE ADVICE. Consultants who are paid fees for there design and specifications are more likely to give you unbiased advice vs food service equipment supply dealers, contract equipment salesmen and designers who earn commissions based on the amount of money you spend. If the consultant profits from food service equipment or furnishings sales commissions, he or she has an inherent conflict of interest because the more you spend, the more they make.

2. EXPERIENCE. Hospitality and food service design today is so specialized and complex that I recommend you hire someone who has provided hospitality / food service design services for a minimum of 15 years. But, don't make the assumption that just because the person has been in the business for 15 years, they have the knowledge, skill, judgment and experience you need. They may be competent--and they may not be. Make sure you thoroughly interview all consultants you are considering.

3. SERVICES. Do you feel that the consultant wants to provide you with the help you need to make your business more successful? Or do you get the impression that they only want to do it there way, with little input from you and to have another project to add to there portfolio?

4. ACCESS. Is the consultant hidden behind a secretary or administrative assistant screening? Or is he or she readily available to you by phone, fax, and e-mail. Does the consultant have a direct line to there desk or there cell phone so you can reach them anytime you wish?

5. STABILITY. Has the consultant been providing hospitality / food service design services for many years? Or is he or she new to the market and just trying to expand there practice into other areas-- and just has one or maybe two hospitality projects under there belt and is just "testing the waters" with your project waiting for the opportunity to move on to other design areas they have more experience in?

6. HOSPITALITY / FOOD SERVICE DESIGN FOCUS. Is the consultant a full-time hospitality / food service design professional? Or is he or she a part-timer who spreads themselves over a number of different design disciplines, such as office design, medical design, retail design, or residential design?

7. AUTHORITY. Does the consultant have enough experience that he or she is a recognized authority in there field? Or is he or she a relative unknown?

8. SIZE and EFFICIENCY. Does the consultant have a large staff and / or a fancy office that clients pay for? Or do they operate a "lean and mean" operation with minimum overhead to keep there fees affordable? In other words, when you write a check, are you paying for there high level of knowledge, skill, judgment and experience?
Or are you paying for there expensive office?

9. TRAVEL. Does the consultant travel around the country from one client to the next, running up airline bills? (which the client pays for)
Or does the consultant keep costs down by working efficiently--limiting air travel for out of town jobs only when needed for that particular project, and working efficiently with you by telephone. fax, mail, and e-mail?

10. KNOWLEDGE. Does the consultant have an intimate knowledge of your hospitality business? Does he or she ask you the right questions about your problems, goals, directions, and purposes for wanting to design new or re-model your hospitality facility? Do they want to help you succeed in your business? Or do they just want the project for
the fee?

11. ATTENTION. Does the consultant have so many clients (to pay for there overhead) he or she can't provide you with the personal care and attention you deserve? Or do they limit there services to a few clients at a time who receive the best they have to offer?

12. WORK. Does the consultant themselves--or a qualified colleague--perform all the work on your behalf? Or does the consultant bring in the work, delegate it to a junior associate, and then bill you at the consultant's higher rate?

13. DESIGN SPECIALIZATION. Is the consultant a hospitality / food service design professional who works only with hospitality orientated businesses? Or do they spread themselves too thin by trying to be a "design generalist" instead of being a hospitality / food service design specialist who knows the current trends and has a knowledge base specific to the hospitality / food service industry.

14. BUDGET. Does the consultant ask you for a detailed project budget? Or does the consultant try to avoid asking the question?

15. RESOURCES. Does the consultant have many resources at there disposal to help you with other non-design related aspects of your project? These are value added services, does the consultant offer them? Or does the consultant have only design resources and no contacts or sources they can refer you to for the many other non-design related needs of your project?

16. COMMUNICATION. Does the consultant have the ability to communicate effectively with your project Architect, Contractor,
Sub-contractors, and you? Or does the consultant lack the skills and experience necessary for working with a project team from the beginning phase of a project through to the completion of construction and opening of your hospitality business.

We have designed over 450 restaurants, 1,200 food service facilities and other hospitality businesses over the last 22 plus years.

Contact us at 253-859-3501 or lus@lusdesignassociates.com