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13 Jun, 2023

Don’t you just love a good checklist? It’s very easy to forget to check the small details on your bid project. Here’s a good start for things commonly overlooked on a project.

  • Does all the gas equipment have gas hoses of the correct size? Unfortunately, not all gas connections are 3/4″.
  • Does all the equipment that needs electrical cords have cords?
  • Does all the equipment than needs casters have casters and all the equipment that needs legs have legs?
  • Will all the under-counter equipment fit under the counter and/or tables?
  • Do all the sinks have faucets? Do the faucets match the plans – deck or wall mount? Do the faucets  spouts reach all the sinks?
  • Is there wall flashing behind the hoods? Is it insulated?
  • Is there wall flashing in the dish room?
  • Will there be necessary field welds so the custom fab and counters will fit through doorways?
  • Does the walk-in assembly need floor insulation?
  • Does everything actually fit under the hood with a full 6 inches of capture space on each exposed side? Check your local codes.
  • Does all the equipment sitting on an equipment stand fit on the equipment stand specified?
  • Do you have the door swings correct? Get them correct now to keep the issue from trickling down to the purchase order!
  • Where is the kitchen located? Is it on the 1st floor, 4th floor, 18th floor? It makes a big difference in labor!
  • Where do your remote refrigeration units sit? How long are the line runs?
  • Are your ice makers and blast freezers self-contained or remote? How long are the line runs?
  • Are there beer or drink systems in your scope of work? How long are the line runs?
  • Did you verify your electrical on your quote with the electrical schedule? Once again, getting it right now keeps it from being on the purchase order wrong.
  • Is fire suppression for the hoods in your scope?
  • Are there bumper rails on the walls or crowd control rails in your scope? Be sure and add for coring holes for rails if they are in your scope.
  • Have you counted the items on the floor plan to make sure it matches your proposal?
  • Are there color/finish selections that might make things more expensive. Think 3-form on the front of the serving counters! Do you know what material the countertops are? Sometimes these are only shown on the architectural plans. You better check! It’s a costly mistake.
  • Are there discrepancies between the plans and specifications that you need to consider in your bid?

Be sure to check local health codes for the places you are bidding to see if there are any special requirements!

Happy Bidding,

-Brook

admin

13 Jun, 2023

Title: Welcome to Kitchen Equipment 101!

Hello, and welcome to our first-ever post on “Kitchen Equipment 101!” We’re excited to kickstart this unique blog dedicated to all things related to commercial kitchen equipment. Whether you’re in the food service equipment industry as an equipment dealer, installer, factory representative, service agency, restaurant owner or employee, we hope to provide a valuable resource by breaking down the processes, best practices, and tips to make your job successful.

We created Kitchen Equipment 101 with a clear vision: to become a one-stop resource to help professionals like you navigate the sometimes complex world of commercial kitchen equipment. The reality of this business is that it has a lot of moving parts where things can, and do, go wrong. Let’s try to work on preventing what is preventable with improving our processes.

Our extensive experience in the commercial kitchen industry has shown us the need for a comprehensive resource where industry professionals can learn about best practices, keep up with the latest trends, and find answers to the most challenging questions related to commercial kitchen equipment.

Who am I? I’m Brook Davis, a married mother of five who’s spent the last 30+ years both estimating and managing mostly large institutional kitchen projects. Neils Bohr is often quoted as saying that, “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” I guess that makes me an expert, because I’ve done just that.

At Kitchen Equipment 101, we believe that knowledge is power. So, let’s dive in and elevate your knowledge of all things related to commercial kitchen equipment. No matter what end of the industry you’re in, we hope you can find something here to help your work be both more efficient and effective. And, for goodness sakes, let’s stop losing money on mistakes by implementing practices and processes that prevent mistakes while they are still on paper and not in the field.

admin

13 Jun, 2023

Estimating a commercial kitchen project can be both an exciting and daunting task. With many moving parts, from equipment to layout, to health and safety regulations, it requires careful planning and budgeting. The process of estimating the cost can seem complex, but having a basic understanding of what goes into this estimate can make it much more manageable. This blog post will delve into the main components you need to consider when creating a project estimate for a commercial kitchen.

First and foremost in looking at a new project to estimate is to understand your scope of work. Be exceptionally clear about what you will and won’t provide. A critical component of any bid is a cover letter showing clearly what are including and excluding. Here’s a list on inclusions/exclusions that I always use, at minimum:

  • Inclusions:
    • Be very clear whether your proposal includes any sales tax or bond. You can give an “add” amount for these items if the project is taxable or requires a payment and performance bond.
    • Be very clear about an expiration date of the quote. With things as they are currently, I would suggest no more than 60 days from the date of the proposal. Be sure and ALWAYS date your proposals.
    • Deliver and set in place all equipment in Section 114000 for final utility connections by MEP after receiving a confirmation in writing that the jobsite is ready for our installation, including but not limited to, finished floor, finished ceiling, finished walls, and a work area clear of other trades.
    • Walk-ins erected and installed with drain lines, refrigeration lines furnished and tested.
    • Exhaust hoods furnished and hung.
    • Fire protection system furnished and installed, per Section 114000.
    • All new equipment started up and tested.
    • Rough-in drawings, equipment books and parts & installation manuals for equipment in our scope.
    • One (1) year parts and labor warranty on equipment in our scope.
    • Additional four (4) year compressor warranty for refrigeration equipment in our scope.
    • If contractually required, site progress meetings by phone or in-person starting within two weeks of our scope’s installation.
  • Exclusions:
    • Removal or relocation of existing equipment not specifically called out in Section 114000.
    • Any final mechanical, electrical, and plumbing connections for equipment in Section 114000, including but not limited to, walk-ins, inter-wiring inside and outside units for the walk-ins, hoods, and fire systems, low voltage wiring to any equipment, power to disposers and wiring from disposers to switches, daisy chain connection of lights in walk-ins.
    • Electrical conduit for walk-ins extending out to refrigeration units or alarm systems.
    • Refrigeration line runs of over 100 feet.
    • Floor depressions.
    • Roof, wall, and floor penetrations or coring.
    • Wall sleeves
    • Wall blocking
    • Roof jacks
    • All curbs, including but not limited to, roof curbs and curbs for serving counters to sit on
    • Concrete slabs for refrigeration system, if sitting on the ground.
    • Cement and finished floor for walk-in cooler/freezer or damage from someone closing the door while concrete is drying.
    • Under-slab conduit for refrigeration and drink lines, computers, or any other equipment requiring such.
    • Any upper structure for support of hanging pot racks or any other suspended equipment.
    • Hood fans, setting of fans, curbs, setting of curbs, ducts or fire wrap unless specifically called for in Section 114000.
    • Composite clean up while not actively on site.
    • Miscellaneous extras: BIM modeling (available for an extra fee), X-raying walls, LEED, Joint checks, replacement of lost/stolen/damaged items after delivery of items to jobsite, videoing live equipment demonstrations/training (Offer to provide factory generated videos, if necessary).
    • Additional administrative and/or accounting services not specified in Section 114000, including but not limited to background checks, badges, certified payroll, owner/contractor controlled insurance programs (i.e. OCIP, CCIP, etc.) online pay app processing (i.e. Textura, etc.). These programs may be included for an additional fee.

It’s also a good practice to spell out where to send contracts/letters of intent with both an address, email address, and who it needs to go to. You also need to address any addenda that are included with your proposal. It’s also good practice to include an itemized proposal with exactly what you are providing including quantities. You do not have to itemize pricing at this point. My next blog post will be covering this aspect of estimating. Happy bidding!