Pizza Today - April 2019 - 36

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L

Building a capable
construction team
Picking the wrong construction partners
can bring intense stress and hefty bills
S TORY DANIEL P. S MITH

3 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / A P R I L 2 0 1 9

ast December, Ruth Gresser
opened her fifth Pizzeria Paradiso
location in Washington, D.C.'s
Spring Valley neighborhood.
Dishing out the brand's celebrated
Neapolitan-style pies, the 179-seat
restaurant features a bar with 14 rotating
taps, a custom mural and art from local
students, pinball machines and a 60-seat
patio.
"It gets much easier the more you
do it," Gresser says of the adventurous
journey to opening a new restaurant,
"though everything is longer, harder and
more expensive than you think."
Fortunately, Gresser, an acclaimed
chef who opened her first Pizzeria
Paradiso in 1991, has largely avoided the
nightmarish construction tales others
in the restaurant business can share
- of vanishing contractors, of lengthy
legal battles, of overlooked details that
swallow cash - by carefully and diligently
selecting her construction partners.
"These are the people who are going
to help you create your business, so
it's important to choose them wisely,"
Gresser says of the architect and
contractor.
For even the most seasoned
restaurateurs, however, hiring an architect
and contractor can be a daunting,
intimidating and downright frightening
task. After all, tabbing the wrong
construction partners can bring intense
stress and hefty bills.
Here's how operators can minimize
their risk and employ more capable,
credible partners:
START WITH TARGETED RESEARCH

Aria Group Architect president Jim
Lencioni suggests pizzeria owners begin
their research by perusing local restaurant
openings online and visiting newer
restaurant spaces to compile a list of
prospective architects and contractors.
"That's how you can start getting some
names you can investigate further," says
Lencioni, whose Oak Park, Illinoisbased firm has designed hundreds of
restaurants since its 1989 founding.
Most commonly, operators focus on



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Pizza Today - April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - April 2019

Pizza Today - April 2019
Commentary
Contributors
Expo Spotlight
Interact
Conversation
Man on the Street
Tony’s Trending Recipe
Knead to Know
Destinations
Updating Seating
Spring Asparagus
John Provides a Gouda Cheese
Construction Partners
Learning From Others Ii
Camporosso, Ft. Mitchell, Ky
Product Showcase
Pizza Today Yellow Pages
The Marketplace
Reader’s Resource
Mike’s Monthly Tip
Pizza Today - April 2019 - CT1
Pizza Today - April 2019 - CT2
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Pizza Today - April 2019
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Cover2
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Commentary
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 4
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 5
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 6
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 7
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Contributors
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 9
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Expo Spotlight
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 11
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Interact
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 13
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Conversation
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 15
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Man on the Street
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 17
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Tony’s Trending Recipe
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 19
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Knead to Know
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 21
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 22
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 23
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Destinations
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 25
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Updating Seating
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 27
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 28
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 29
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Spring Asparagus
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 31
Pizza Today - April 2019 - John Provides a Gouda Cheese
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 33
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 34
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 35
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Construction Partners
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 37
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 38
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 39
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Learning From Others Ii
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 41
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Camporosso, Ft. Mitchell, Ky
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 43
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 44
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 45
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 46
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 47
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Product Showcase
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 49
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Pizza Today Yellow Pages
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 51
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 52
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 53
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 54
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 55
Pizza Today - April 2019 - The Marketplace
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 57
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 58
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 59
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 60
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 61
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 62
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 63
Pizza Today - April 2019 - 64
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Reader’s Resource
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Mike’s Monthly Tip
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Cover3
Pizza Today - April 2019 - Cover4
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