Anyone planning on starting a business in the food service industry will often begin by looking for an ideal space in which to run their business. This is often easier said than done, as suitable locations may be very limited, with many available spots not even having a kitchen that would be considered up to par for even the smallest of food ventures. Entrepreneurs looking to open a new restaurant in Maroochydore, Buderim or other areas of the Sunshine Coast, requiring cold room construction or building have the option to build a custom kitchen and hire refrigeration equipment, which costs less money and is welcome to those on a tight budget.
The good news is that there are other solutions out there, and there is in fact a business in London that was created based on this very specific need. The company is called FoodStars, and their mission is to create bespoke kitchen spaces for new food ventures, particularly those that offer food delivery options. They will go in and create fully functional, professional kitchen layouts on places where such an idea would not seem possible. One perfect example of the challenges that they routinely face was to put a walk-in cold room in a location where there was barely any headroom.
One of the things that the founders of FoodStars agreed upon was that kitchen sharing was out of the question. While this is a solution that some food companies have used to help keep operating costs down, the fact of the matter is that it can prove to be a logistical nightmare, not to mention a potential health hazard. Not all kitchens are managed to the same standard, which means that the potential for cross-contamination is always there, especially if you have one business that does not hold up their end of the cleaning bargain as well as the others.
The company is also very particular about who they choose to work with, opting to go with new food service companies that seem fully committed to the industry, or who have an idea that is somewhat revolutionary in what can be a bit of a tired business in terms of thinking outside the box. The three men at the helm of FoodStars also help with the kitchen management side of things, bringing their own passion for the food industry alongside others that are just getting started in the business.
While this type of service is not currently available in Buderim, all is not lost for those looking to create a working environment on a tight budget. Cold room hire is a perfect fit for those food companies who do not want to totally retro-fit a space, or those who have a location where the layout in the food prep area is a little more challenging. One of the major benefits of going this route, besides the finances, is that any repairs that need to be done will be taken care of in a timely fashion by the refrigeration hire company, which delivers some real peace of mind to the renter.
