Essential Resources from a Food Service Equipment Design Firm in the Northern Bay Area
Susan McDonnell & Associates, a reliable food service equipment design firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, recognizes that a successful restaurant starts in the kitchen. With decades of experience and invaluable client feedback, we have mastered the art of designing food service kitchens that maximize efficiency, usability, and aesthetics—all while adhering to budget constraints and maintaining compliance with safety codes.
Comprehensive Kitchen Design
We handle every aspect necessary to ensure your kitchen meets all Health Department plan submittals and codes. Our comprehensive services include:
- Equipment Space Planning and specifications
- Rough Plumbing and Electrical Plans
- Equipment Schedules
By providing these essential elements, we equip our clients with everything needed to create a successful and functional restaurant kitchen. Our passion for delivering a complete branding experience allows us to harmonize your menu with the restaurant's interior design, ultimately enhancing the overall hospitality experience.
Sustainable Hospitality Designs
We craft hospitality designs that prioritize maximum customer comfort while fostering an inviting atmosphere that encourages repeat visits. Each project we undertake is designed and executed with sustainability in mind, ensuring a commitment to environmentally friendly practices from concept through completion while staying on time and within budget.
Site Consulting Services
Are you unsure whether the location you’re considering can accommodate all your food service needs? Do you need assistance drafting a demolition plan before construction begins? Look no further. At Susan McDonnell & Associates, our experts bring years of field experience, creating demolition plans and timelines and offering expert testimony on pre-existing site conditions. Assessing existing conditions before signing your lease or initiating your plans is crucial.
Code Compliance Assurance
In today's stringent building environment, even the simplest remodels must adhere to the latest building, environmental, plumbing, and accessibility codes. Failure to meet these codes can lead to lawsuits or substantial fines.
At Susan McDonnell & Associates, we prepare comprehensive reports outlining any code regulations that are not currently satisfied for our clients. For an exhaustive list of the documentation and services we provide, please review our detailed offerings on code compliance.
At Susan McDonnell & Associates, we prepare comprehensive reports outlining any code regulations that are not currently satisfied for our clients. For an exhaustive list of the documentation and services we provide, please review our detailed offerings on code compliance.
Restaurant Concept Branding Expertise
Our company brings decades of experience as a key partner in the food service industry. We develop and implement innovative restaurant concepts that attract customers and enhance their dining experience.
We specialize in creating complete functional interior seating and wall layouts, whether starting from scratch or enhancing an existing brand. Our designs are always compliant with ADA requirements, ensuring accessibility for all patrons. But we don't stop there. We take pride in the creative aspects of our work, including interior and exterior landscaping, art selection, and branding collaborations with local talent.
We specialize in creating complete functional interior seating and wall layouts, whether starting from scratch or enhancing an existing brand. Our designs are always compliant with ADA requirements, ensuring accessibility for all patrons. But we don't stop there. We take pride in the creative aspects of our work, including interior and exterior landscaping, art selection, and branding collaborations with local talent.
Our past clients have benefitted from our concept development services, including:
Energy-Efficient Restaurant Kitchen Design
Our extensive experience in food service kitchen layout and equipment selection enables us to implement and specify energy-efficient solutions that save labor, water, and energy. This lowers your operational costs and contributes to a healthier bottom line for your restaurant. Importantly, we do not engage in high-pressure sales tactics; we believe in specifying equipment that meets our client's needs.
At Susan McDonnell & Associates, we help streamline the process by reusing the specifications and connecting you with the right installers to maximize savings.
At Susan McDonnell & Associates, we help streamline the process by reusing the specifications and connecting you with the right installers to maximize savings.
Exceptional Lighting Design
The ambiance of your restaurant begins with adequate lighting. Since our inception, we have designed interior lighting schemes that create captivating atmospheres while keeping energy costs low. Our clients have saved thousands in energy expenses thanks to our innovative lighting solutions.
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Design Instruction at Mission College
In addition to our design services, Susan McDonnell is an instructor for the Food Service Facility Design course in the Hospitality Management Department at Mission College. This hands-on course allows students to engage with practical techniques vital for success in the exciting food service industry.
For further information about this course and other offerings by Susan, please visit the Mission College Hospitality website. Meet the team One of the reasons for our success in the foodservice design industry is our values; we value honesty in all phases of the project, hard work and commitment to our clients' goals, as well as a desire to make the whole experience enjoyable.
For further information about this course and other offerings by Susan, please visit the Mission College Hospitality website. Meet the team One of the reasons for our success in the foodservice design industry is our values; we value honesty in all phases of the project, hard work and commitment to our clients' goals, as well as a desire to make the whole experience enjoyable.
Principal Designer
Susan McDonnell began her career while still attending college, consulting on the design of numerous pizza parlors. The combination of food, fun and design instantly attracted her to the field, and she has been designing for restaurant owners across the nation ever since. Her high energy and motivational attitude provide the drive and passion needed to make every project a memorable experience.
Susan has always prided herself on designing for energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. With years of design experience, Susan has saved clients thousands of dollars by proposing creative design solutions that are tailored to their needs and budgets. As principal designer at Susan McDonnell & Associates, Susan is responsible for overseeing all design work as well as coordinating with project consultants.
Design Project Team
As the project team coordinator, we work with professional consultants to complete their specialized part of a project.
Hung Nguyen, Staff Engineer handling electrical, plumbing and structural design
Kim Campbell, Artist and Color Specialist, kimcampbellstudios.com
Thailia Stratton, "Fine Art" www.thaliastratton.com
Hatch Food Service Equipment Company,
Owner Brett Hatch
Other Potential Required Consultants
- Structural Engineers: Experts on structure and seismic requirements.
- Mechanical Engineers: HVAC design and plumbing distribution.
- Electrical Engineers: Wire diagram and power distribution.
- Building Architect: New structure detailing.
- Landscaping Designer or Architect: Interior and exterior landscaping.
- Lighting Consultants: Expertise in special lighting requirements.
- Artists: Art work, illustrations, tile-work, faux-finish, specialty finishes.