Pizza Today - April 2016 - 32

Another improvement was very
inexpensive and resulted in better table "You look at it, you budturns. Ian's Pizza has tables for four,
but sometimes parties of four push two get, and you think, what
tables together so they can spread out. parts of it are going to
That means empty seats during a busy
get a return, and what
lunch or dinner. So Martin bolted the
parts do we need to do
tables to the floor. No more rearranging, and no more waiting for a table
even if we are not going
while customers use the chairs for
to get a return?"
elbowroom.
Seating is also important in carryout - Nick Martin, Ian's Pizza
locations, says Mark Sargent, creative
director for King Retail Solutions
of any list of remodel projects.
in Eugene, Oregon, and Cincinnati,
Florenz points out that bathroom
Ohio. "People are coming in, and they
remodels are not as expensive as an
have to wait while the pizza is being
operator might think. "You can change
prepped," he says. "You could probably
the sink, update the mirrors, all those
improve your customer experience by
little things are small additions that
adding seating."
really make a huge impact," she says.
Adding a few chairs is an easy
"Upgrading bathrooms would defifix and not expensive. A more pricy
nitely be something that adds a lot of
project is flooring, which Sargent says
value. People remember bathrooms."
has become much more important
Park Street Pizza in Sugarcreek,
now than it was five or 10 years ago.
Ohio, did a bathroom remodel in 2013.
"So many people are looking at their
phones and other devices so much, and "We put a lot of love and attention
into it," says Rocky Shanower, who is
they are looking at the floor," he says.
co-owner with his wife Courtney. "It's
"Probably at the subliminal level they
nicer than any bathroom you will see
think, that floor was dirty or the place
in anyone's home."
was dark."
Shanower says the new bathroom
Julia Florenz, a designer with ZDS
has
a modern farmhouse feel with a
Inc. in Providence, Rhode Island, says
giant old farmhouse sink, beautiful
it helps to have a variety of seating
mirrors and lights. "It's really specoptions in the dining room. "Instead
tacular," he says. "The sink alone cost
of having all the seats dining height,
more than anything we had in the old
you can also have high top, banquette,
bathroom."
bar seating or booths," she says. The
People were indeed impressed.
advantage is not just visual, but practiCustomers
started taking selfies in the
cal when it comes to timing. Custombathroom
and
posting the photos on
ers might order drinks at high tops and
social media. "That says something,"
not stay long, while families might sit
Shanower says. "If the bathrooms are
in the booths and dine more casually.
this great, how great is everything else?"
Another low cost detail in the
Park Street Pizza, which worked
front of the house is artwork. When
with Hayes Inc. Architecture and
ZDS worked with Coal Fire Pizza in
Interiors
in Phoenix, Arizona, did
Westerly, Rhode Island, on a recent
more
than
remodel the bathrooms.
remodel, the eatery brought in local
The
restaurant
also has vaulted ceilartwork. The restaurant displays work
ings with hardwood trusses and large
from artists in Westerly, which is near
windows for natural light. To add to
Providence, in an effort to support the
that barn-style feel, Park Street Pizza
local artists from the smaller town.
brought in locally built furniture for
the tables and benches. "We are in
Bathrooms are often at the top
Amish country," Shanower says.
3 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 1 6

Sometimes it's important to
remodel the outside of the restaurant to make the place more inviting to potential customers. Last

year P's Pizza House in LeMars, Iowa,
remodeled the exterior of the building
and the front entrance. "Our building
was built in 1973 and has had several
tenants over the years," says owner
Joe Sitzmann. "Before P's there was a
Chinese joint, so we had this Chinese
looking entrance with metal siding on
the rest."
Customers noticed the change.
"We have had an outpouring of
guests compliment the improvement,"
Sitzmann says. "We have had several
people dine with us only because of the
new look." n

NORA CALEY is a freelance writer
specializing in food and business topics.
She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Choose Wisely,
Not Cheaply
When an operator decides which
remodeling project to undertake, price
should not be the only consideration.
Instead, the decision maker should think
about which problems could be helped by
an update.
"What are you trying to solve?" asks
Mark Sargent, creative director for King
Retail Solutions, which is based in Eugene,
Oregon, and recently opened a design
office in Cincinnati. "What is the information you are getting from a data point or
from customers?"
Diners might offer feedback about a lack
of seating, or an unappealing waiting area,
or the lighting that they need when they try
to read the menu. A coat of paint is always
a low-cost upgrade, and new art can help
too. Although simple updates can make the
place look more attractive, it is better to do
more than one improvement. "You're not
going to get everything you need from paint
or updating seating or updating lighting,"
Sargent says. "It has to work harmoniously."

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Pizza Today - April 2016

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