Introduction
You Choy Restaurant was built in 1990 by a Chinese couple that was determined to start their dream as restaurant owners. The last remodel was done in 2004 when the restaurant was almost closed by health agencies for it being a health hazard to the potential customers. The equipment in the kitchen and backrooms are maintained by the company that delivered them to the restaurant; this is done every two years. The furniture in the dining area is repaired and replaced every six months and other items in the restaurant are listed as miscellaneous and listed in the general maintenance section that happens annually or on call in cases that need to be attended to as soon as the problems occur. The expectations of the facilities management is to make sure that the facilities of the restaurant work together in harmony for the good of the company by maximizing profit and ensuring effective working of the restaurant.
Tour of the Facility
Restaurant facilities management is a merge between the asset management, relationship management and vendor arrangement. The tour of the restaurant provided an interesting look into the look and the general layout and workings of a restaurant (Booty, 2009). The General Manager of Yu Choy Restaurant was friendly and had staff that gave warm smiles and are always willing to help. I met a calm and comforting character in the doorman who welcomed us to the hotel.
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The first room that a customer is a waiting area that was not very clean or spacious. The floor of the waiting area had dust balls at the corners of the room that are easy to spot in the walk-in. The chairs were old and torn; in dire need of replacement. They were not pleasing to the eye of the customers. During my time at the waiting area, I noticed that very few customers sat on the chairs as they found them dirty and unappealing. Most of the diners opted to stand as they waited to get seated by the hosts and hostesses. The lighting in this area of the restaurant is poor and also not very appealing to the potential customers in the area. This lobby area was closed out and the diners are not able to see what is going on in the seating area. This could be rectified by doing a complete redesign of the lobby by allowing light into the area, putting up chandeliers that will be used at night and designing an open lobby. The open lobby layout allows the customers to see what is going on in the dining area.
The design of the dining area did not allow for steady workflow for the waiting staff and provide adequate seating for the diners. The bathrooms were too close to the dining area and a waft of urine is distinct in the area when the restaurant is at full capacity. The dining area was also not friendly to disabled persons as there were too many steps and changes in the levels of the seating area that did not allow for easy movement of individuals in wheelchairs through the restaurant. The dining area should provide adequate seating space for all the diners in a spacious manner so that it is not too stuffy and uncomfortable. The kitchen is in full view from the lobby area and the wait staff have to walk through the lobby so that they can deliver the food to the customers. This significantly reduces the efficiency of the workflow of the movement of food and used dishes and cutlery in and out of the kitchen and washing area. Ramps should be availed and a flatter surface provided for at least a section of the dining area and bathrooms that would be accessible to the disabled.
The kitchen area was too cramped up with space and the kitchen equipment was too old. The area for food preparation and dish washing was rusty and the cooking line needed to be changed by employing a conveyer belt method of food preparation that will help food leave the kitchen faster to the diners. The cooking equipment needs to be replaced as soon as possible as it is a health hazard.
Interview with the General Manager
What are the biggest challenges you face in this job as it relates to facilities management?
The biggest challenge that I have experienced in this sector is finding harmony between the staff and the facilities. That is, finding a balance in which the restaurant can work effectively and in a profitable manner.
How did you get into the hospitality business and did you have a formal hospitality education?
I was passionate about providing efficient services to customers and have been obsessed with running a successful profitable restaurant.
How do you measure success in facilities employees?
I measure success by an employee being able to repeatedly produce the desired result using this facility in a short period of time.
How many hours do you work in a day/week?
I work10 hours a day, and about 60-65 hours a week, give or take.
What do you find most challenging in your job as it relates to facilities management?
The expense and frequency with which these facilities need repair or maintenance; and of course, the high cost of buying new machines if the older machines are beyond repair.
Is one time of the year more challenging in your job as it relates to facilities management and why?
The holidays are always the worst because of the increased use of these facilities that leads to accidental overloading that leads to frequent breaking down of these machines.
How has facilities management changed in the past 5 years?
Technology has been rapidly changing and new and better methods of maintenance and repair have come up. Newer machines have also come up that work differently that need constant re-learning on the job.
References
Booty, F. (2009). Facilities management handbook . Routledge.
