Danto Builders is proud to announce the completion of construction of a new and fresh fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant concept, Mazza Kitchen, located at 1530 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. Most people are familiar with its location in the shopping plaza where Trader Joe’s and Nordstrom Rack are located.
The dining experience
For patrons of the restaurant, the flow and design elements were thoughtfully done, taking into account both the ease of cooking and the diner’s experience. For example, the front window, next to the front door, was created so that people who are at the shopping center, walking by, can watch the chef cooking on the charcoal grill.
Patrons will be able to watch their meal be assembled for them, making personal favorite choices about what protein they want, as well as carbs, condiments and sauces. The owner is very passionate about delivering fresh and delicious meals where patrons walk away feeling very satisfied.Â
In addition, there is an ice cream machine, for soft-serve ice cream, and grab-and-go prepared foods and drinks.
Mazza Kitchen is a great addition to this shopping plaza for those who are shopping at the stores, wanting to eat out or meet people as they run errands, or to just have a relaxing, convenient and fulfilling meal. We recommend you stop by and say hello!
The challenges of a new restaurant build
As the Restaurant Super Coach, Craig Danto, CEO of Danto Builders, also wants to share the challenges of this project. Despite having the best commercial kitchen designer, architect, engineers, and an experienced restaurant owner, there were still situations that every restaurant owner should be aware of when constructing a new location, especially a first-generation restaurant. Craig Danto walked through the challenges presented by this new location.
The space, located in the Trader Joe’s and Nordstrom Rack shopping plaza, was originally a bank. Everything that had been done as infrastructure for the bank had to be demolished, from the security systems in the walls and ceiling to the floors. This demolition took more time and money to complete versus a location that does not have these security measures.
There hasn’t been a restaurant anywhere near this location, so another challenge was identifying that there was no gas lines to the property. A gas line had to be located, so gas could be brought into the building. The closest gas line was at the far end of the shopping center and a connection was dug, traveling over 700 feet alongside of the Trader Joe’s. From there, it had to be continued, digging under the parking lot, to reach the restaurant’s location. A total of 1600 lineal feet were installed to get gas to the building. The coordination of all parties involved is a challenge in itself.
Another challenge was the grease trap. Most restaurants must have a grease trap (depending on the menu and equipment) so Danto’s solution was to put in a grease trap in a nearby location (versus what was on the plans) that eliminated having to make sidewalk and parking lot repairs, which saved time and money.
The new exhaust system, created for the roof, takes the air from two separate hoods and balances out the air that comes into the restaurant from the kitchen area. There were delays because of issues with the hood parts: the Ansul fire suppression systems designed for the hoods were on back-order because the facility of the manufacturer of the canisters (supplying the foam) burned down in Wisconsin. Fortunately, after searching various resources, Hood Depot came through with the parts necessary to open the restaurant as soon as possible, rather than having to wait an additional five months.
Additional water had to be brought into the building, putting in a larger water supply pipe, to accommodate the needs of this restaurant. And because of all the new cooking equipment in the building, from the food cooler to the grills to the hood systems, a new electric panel had to be installed, and a new meter, to carry the additional 3-phase power. Again, because of supply-chain issues, it was difficult to find and acquire the dual breakers needed for this type of facility.
Danto Builders took on all these challenges in the construction as well as the millwork, tilework, wall finishes, stainless-steel countertops, and copper finishes.
Danto Builders daily reporting
Because of Danto Builder team’s attention to all the details, there were daily reports for the owner. These highlighted and followed each new challenge as it came up. While there were some surprises with this project (such as locating the nearest gas line), the owner was informed every step of the way.
This meant that he understood the details of what was going on and what additional steps were required. The owner has opened restaurants previously so he’s well aware of the challenges posed by this new location; he appreciated the additional work and logistics to get the work done and the restaurant opened in a timely fashion.
Even with all the challenges noted here and additional design and plan changes, the buildout took about seven months.