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Building on Your Strengths
With the current state of the economy affecting not only homeowners and consumers but also house-builders and construction firms, businesses in the hospitality sector have tightened their belts and are getting ready for a predicted rough ride in the coming months. However, contrary to the knee-jerk reaction of reducing or even halting investment in your business, now might be the best time to find a halfway-house solution. A refit, refurb or simple spruce-up of your hotel, restaurant or catering facility will refresh it and pay dividends in the long-term, and it'll give you a chance to think of some fresh ideas for the year ahead.
One firm in the Scottish marketplace specialises in complete restyles and rebuilds of all types of buildings, and will manage the entire project from initial planning to end result.
Step forward Kelly Construction, and let the restorations commence…
Having trained and worked for years as a shop-fitter, Joe Kelly established his building business in 2002 and since then has worked on house-building and commercial refit projects of varying size and complexity. However, in the last six years Kelly Construction has concentrated more on the refit side of things, mainly because, as Joe himself puts it: 'It's half as much trouble for double the client satisfaction. Much of the reasoning behind a refurbishment comes from financial constraints limiting the owner's ability to move on to bigger and better premises, particularly in these times of economic uncertainty.
'If a business is growing quickly and more space is needed, or part of the business is crying out for an upgrade, the logical step is to gut it and start again from scratch. 'Lenders can be more supportive of a loan application if it's for something less risky than buying a new business or building when the credit crunch is in mid-bite. If the money is going towards enhancing a going concern and it is likely that the revenue of that business will increase as a result, it should in theory be a safer bet for lenders.'
However, apart from the money-saving incentives there is another compelling reason for a refit instead of relocation; Joe's clients have all experienced a marked increase in turnover on reopening after a full refurb. Aldo Girasoli, proprietor of Pacini's in Paisley, worked with Joe to gut and refit the restaurant earlier this year and, he says, it's been worth every penny: 'We were well-known and had been going for a long time,' says Aldo, 'but the place was looking a little tired and in need of a refresh, so I called in Kelly's and they took over the project from start to finish'
However, despite the original idea of a facelift, on closer inspection of the building Joe and his colleagues realised that the actual foundations were inadequate, meaning the team had to take it back to the earth and start again. 'We completely demolished the back shop and rebuilt it with two storeys instead of the original one,' says Aldo. 'This hurdle inevitably added a few more weeks to the schedule but it was unavoidable and in the end it has really made a difference since we reopened. The place looks so much better, both inside and out, and our takings have increased by 25%. We get a lot more passing trade now and we're busy all the time. If this continues, the refurb will have paid for itself within a year.'
The attraction of using Kelly Construction lies in the fact that Joe and his team take over the entire project from start to finish, coordinating the architects, designers, structural engineers, builders, equipment suppliers, electricians and decorators.
'We also advise on the feasibility of a project before it gets to the permits and building control stage and, once it has, we will handle the necessary applications for the client. We are in continuous dialogue with both parties throughout the process, so the complications are minimised.
'We purchase all equipment directly from the manufacturers, too, so we cut out any middlemen and save money for the client en route.'
So it would seem that in these times of economic uncertainty, the best way to go if you're thinking of expanding your current hotel, restaurant, catering kitchen or office building, is to call in Kelly Construction and let them do it all for you. Aside from avoiding the hassle of securing credit and physically moving premises, your business could well end up increasing its income through more positive press reviews, better staff morale and, ultimately, increased trade.
Kelly Construction Scotland Ltd
Tel: 01506 460500
Fax: 01506 400150
Mob: 07885 978 763
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature, please see Catering in Scotland magazine August/September 2008.
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