Beat the Bomb: Scalable Kitchen Design for Rapid Expansion
Location:
Multiple
Partnering with Boelter was key to bringing an elevated food and drink service to Beat the Bomb as it expanded to four new locations. Project Manager Adam Goodloe worked with Peter Anderer, Director of Food and Beverage at Beat the Bomb, and Collin Schmid, Director of Accounts at Arco Murray, to design a kitchen that could produce a variety of food all within a relatively small space with minimal staff.
Location:
Multiple
Partnering with Boelter was key to bringing an elevated food and drink service to Beat the Bomb as it expanded to four new locations. Project Manager Adam Goodloe worked with Peter Anderer, Director of Food and Beverage at Beat the Bomb, and Collin Schmid, Director of Accounts at Arco Murray, to design a kitchen that could produce a variety of food all within a relatively small space with minimal staff.
"Adam was great at understanding the needs of the foodservice aspect of Beat the Bomb, and then working to achieve those goals by designing a kitchen that was not just functional but also efficient and fun to work in."
– COLLIN SCHMID, DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS, ARCO MURRAY
Equipment for the Win
Goodloe’s knowledge of foodservice helped in sourcing the right equipment for the type of menu Anderer had in mind for Beat the Bomb. The menu is the same at every Beat the Bomb location, but Anderer has worked to implement regional tastes as well. A group enjoying a night out in Atlanta can try the Old Bay seasoned wings popular in Denver, while the Houston people get introduced to Brooklyn’s traditional Jamaican beef patties. Goodloe chose an Alto Shaam Vector oven for three important reasons:
- Flexibility. Each of the four compartments operates independently, allowing for a mix of menu items to be cooked at once, even with different timing and temperature needs.
- Programmability. Recipes are programmed in for one-touch cooking. This not only ensures consistency and quality from location to the next, but also makes it easy for staff.
- Ventless operation. Not having to install a hood helped save money in the budget, but also helped with the flexibility needed for design and installation as each location was different. Specifically at the Philadelphia location, Beat the Bomb is on the ground level of a six-story building, which would have been challenging for duct work.
“Adam introduced us to the Vector oven, and it has been a real game changer for our operations. For something like the Jamaican beef patties that you have to pull out halfway through cooking to add cheese, the oven tells the operator when it’s time. We’re able to control cook time, temperature and fan speed throughout, with just the push of a button.”
– PETER ANDERER, DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE, BEAT THE BOMB
A ventless MTI fryer, walk-in coolers and freezers, and a Krowne bar with cocktail stations round out the bulk of the equipment, all designed to help produce as much as possible in the relatively small spaces allotted for the kitchens at Beat the Bomb.
Designed for Expansion
Goodloe and his team worked with Arco Murray to design and source kitchens at four new locations – Philadelphia, Charlotte, Houston and Denver – as well as update the kitchens in Washington, DC, and Atlanta, all within the course of one year. The key to accomplishing this amount of renovation and expansion in such a short amount of time came from a design that was not only easily replicated, but could also be modified as needed to fit each particular location.
The kitchens at Beat the Bomb are set up so food is produced from back to front. It culminates with the three-compartment sink at the front of the kitchen, so servers come in with hands full of dirty dishes, drop them off, wash their hands, and pick up the next order for maximum efficiency.
With the basic design in place, Goodloe could adapt as necessary at each location. In Denver that meant working around a concrete containment cap from when the building served as an Army Surplus location. All of the electric outlets had to be around the periphery because wiring couldn’t run through the concrete. Without the ability to screw in the floor base for the walk-in cooler, Goodloe worked with the installer to come up with a strong epoxy mixture to serve as the base. Space restrictions at the Philadelphia location required Goodloe to design remote refrigeration. Each location also had its own regulations and health inspections to navigate.
A Team Effort
In addition to a flexible design, collaboration and communication between all the players was critical to successfully opening four new locations of Beat the Bomb in one year. “Because we’re a design/build firm we’re involved with a client from concept to completion.” Schmid says.
"Having Goodloe on board, with his design experience, allowed for opportunities to get creative and look for ways to help the client, whether that was in flexibility in working within a specific footprint or keeping an eye on the budget and expenses.”
– COLLIN SCHMID, DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS, ARCO MURRAY
