What to Look for in a Restaurant General Contractor

Many restaurant contractors will bid for your construction project. Learn how to select the right one for the job.

Key takeaways:

• Verifiable restaurant construction experience is essential
• Licenses and qualifications are the least you should expect
• Communication and collaboration are the true cornerstones of construction
• Project management expertise is crucial to success

Here’s some food for thought from the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 State of the Restaurant Industry report: Consumers still crave human hospitality, even in the digital age, and 90% of adults say they enjoy going to restaurants, where 200,000 jobs are projected to be added this year.

Translation? Demand for in-person dining experiences is still on the rise.

Whether you’re already an established restaurateur looking to expand or a prospective restaurant owner ready to get in on the action, look for these five essential traits in your restaurant General Contractor. 

1. Experience You Can See

Before you even think about gauging experience, make sure it even exists in the first place.

What may seem like an odd speculation quickly becomes common sense when you realize that almost anybody could bid as a contractor on your project and then simply disappear. 

Do they:

• Have a verifiable business address you can visit?
• A working contact number?
• A website?

Websites in particular are vital to verifying the experience of a restaurant General Contractor who prioritizes transparency. A well-designed website should be a visual record of not only past restaurant work but business values, mission, services, and testimonials.

And let’s not forget about social media, a digital track record of customer interaction. Investigate your prospective contractor’s social media presence: How often do they respond to customer inquiries? Are they polite, aggressive, or seemingly indifferent? Do they radiate professionalism, or do they seem like they have no idea what they’re doing?

How often do they post about current and/or previous work? Taking the time to answer these questions about your restaurant General Contractor’s social media presence goes a long way in ensuring you hire the right team for the job.

2. Verifiable Qualifications Versus Unsubstantiated Claims

Never take a contractor’s word that they’re licensed, insured, and properly trained. These details and certifications should be clearly visible on their website and/or readily available on request. 

Contact the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to start researching a contractor by name, license number, and inspection history. You can also use their downloadable app to make verification even simpler.

Remember: Proof of insurance doesn’t mean it’s current. Working with a full-service construction company that thoroughly researches its contractor partners can help verify these and many other mission-critical details.

3. Look for Restaurant-Specific Expertise

Proper restaurant construction demands experience in several key components, including but not limited to the following.

Kitchen Equipment Setup

A successful and efficient restaurant kitchen requires a wealth of equipment. 

Refrigerators, ovens, ranges, and mixers are just some of the things a restaurant contractor should be able to fit safely while meeting installation codes and respecting the client’s expectations for the space’s workflow.

HVAC Installation

HVAC does more than keep customers comfortable. Without the right ventilation and air volumes, restaurant kitchens can be sweltering places full of burned-out employees.

A good restaurant General Contractor understands how vital various degrees of airflow in the proper places can be to a new restaurant, both behind the scenes and on the dining floor.

Plumbing

A clean and efficient restaurant requires a reliable water supply and sufficient drainage. 

The water system must comply with local regulations to ensure any large amount of wastewater generated is disposed of correctly, and solid waste like grease must be diverted into its own disposal channel.

An experienced restaurant General Contractor knows these factors must integrate harmoniously into the limited space of a construction site to maximize efficiency, site safety, and comfort. 

A good restaurant contractor also understands they’ll be part of a wide team of professionals working together to realize these plans.

4. Strong Communication and Collaboration

Restaurant construction is an exercise in cooperation; architects, designers, suppliers, and tradespeople must effectively speak and be heard, lest communication (and, thus, the project itself) break down entirely. 

A restaurant contractor must therefore be an excellent communicator and team player: constantly informative, easily accessible, and ready to teach or learn as the project demands.

You can get a good sense of how well a restaurant contractor may do this based on how they treat you as a possible customer. 

Do they:

• Answer all your questions amply and promptly?
• Supply any relevant data you request as quickly as possible?
• Understand and respect your goals and position on the project?

If so, you likely have a reliable and collaborative restaurant General Contractor on your hands.

5. Project Management Expertise

Project managers are the linchpins of construction work. They understand how complex restaurant building is, and it’s up to them to ballpark and balance budgets before they set realistic timelines. They also must oversee and manage all subcontractors on the project.

They must be flexible and possess foresight. Some construction challenges are plain from the outset, while others can develop as work progresses. You want someone who can identify obvious challenges and predict the hurdles that may lie ahead while having alternatives prepared for both.

With these five tips in mind, you’re now well on your way to recognizing the hallmarks of a good restaurant General Contractor. Your next move is forging a confident partnership with a contractor capable of understanding your goals and delivering success.

Rely on RPC General Contractors for Your Restaurant Project

In an oversaturated market, it pays to know that verification, qualification, communication, and organization are the four key indicators of a great partner.

RPC General Contractors is a full-service construction company that takes pride in making the highest-quality construction projects happen.

This means we cover all the bases in restaurant construction, from conceptual planning and design through development and construction management and on to final inspection and documentation.

We’ve spent 36 years helping thousands of clients meet their construction goals, from restaurants and commercial spaces to retail and residential. 

Simply send us a message, call at (904) 241-4416, or stop by our Atlantic Beach office to get started!