Benefits

Currently the alternative options to interim kitchen facilities are phased construction, outside catering, or a complete shutdown of the facility. Phased construction can take two to three times longer to complete than an interim kitchen, and accrue increased project costs due to extended “general conditions,” expended resources, and the like. Further, conventional methods can result in serious disruption of a facility's day-to-day operations, causing “construction fatigue” as occupants tire of the associated, noise, dust, and inconvenience.

Outsourced catering can be extremely costly, running 20 percent to 30 percent more than in-house production. With outsourced catering the host facility has limited control over food safety, quality, and consistency and may have to reduce original staff which can affect morale. Complete shutdown of a kitchen is not always an option. It can add productivity stress on other operations, and decreases the level of service provided to consumers.

In terms of administrative arrangements, interim kitchen facilities rent by the month, with additional charges for transportation to and from the site location, set up, commissioning, de-commissioning, cleaning, and removal at the end of the rental or lease period. Interim rental or lease periods range from one to more than 36 months with the average lease period being six to fourteen months. The process for utilizing an interim foodservice facility is very similar to the design and build process for a permanent building. Code approvals are also similar except that the prefabricated kitchen units are reviewed and inspected by third agencies approved by the state in which the units will be installed.

Interim Kitchen Facilities Make for Good Business

Renovations of existing facilities can be a double-edged sword. A new modernized facility is in the making, which is a good and necessary thing, but what happens to users of the existing facility while renovation proceeds? When it comes to food service, phasing, catering, or outright closing the existing facility may not be valid options due to cost, convenience, or logistics. Interim kitchen complexes, which can be erected quickly and can take over the full food service capabilities of the existing facility, represent a high quality, cost effective solution. Building code and health code compliant, the interim facility is a resource that architects and owners can turn to as an effective element in a renovation master plan.

 

Sprung Structures engineered high-performance, tensioned membrane structures are designed to provide innovative, cost-effective building solutions for interim and permanent applications. Kitchens To Go is an industry leader in mobile and modular commercial kitchen solutions. Combined they can supply an immediate custom solution for state-of-the-art dining facilities worldwide. The “Kitchens To Go Harvard Business School” video can be viewed at www.sprung.com/video/harvard-business-school-dining-facilities or www.k-t-g.com/video/harvard-business-school-temporary-kitchen-complex. www.sprung.com and www.k-t-g.com