‘Know what you’re looking at’
A past kitchen redesign taught Jim McGrody, director of culinary services at Rex Healthcare in Raleigh, N.C., to think critically about recommendations made by the experts and consultants hired on to help with projects. While that revamped kitchen is functional, he says, there are certain things about it that don’t make sense from a culinary perspective, and components like outlets and drains weren’t necessarily placed in the best locations.
However, these hiccups didn’t become apparent until the plans were signed off on and the electrical work was being done. “Unless you’re an architect, looking at blueprints [doesn’t] tell you much,” he says. When conducting a renovation, he suggests having the employees who will actually be doing the cooking take a look at the layout to see if it makes sense.