Navigating the permit process
Looking at Sacramento’s historic Firestone building with an amateur’s eye, the renovation progress is nearly imperceptible. Looks can be deceiving, though, and such is the case here. While the former tire shop continues foundational work and renovations in preparation for the four restaurants that will soon co-occupy the structure, frenetic behind-the-scenes work continues for de Vere’s Irish Pub owners Henry and Simon De Vere White.
Obtaining permits
The brothers recently submitted their permit applications to the Building and Health Departments to ensure that by the time Firestone building renovations are complete, they can immediately begin building out their restaurant in the most efficient way possible.
The permit submission was the culmination of over a year’s worth of planning and collaboration from various parties. Prior to permit submission, these 15 players came together to go over plans with a fine-tooth comb. This group setting provided that if any problems did arise, all of the necessary parties would be in one room, allowing them to immediately problem-shoot and formulate solutions.
As is always the case with restaurants, even with careful planning and many sets of eyes, issues—albeit minor ones—appeared during the submission process. The Building Department was quick to report back, citing 10 or 11 minor, easily resolved problems. The Health Department, however, takes at least 20 days to even look at permit submissions.
It takes a village
Getting to the permit submission stage involved a collaborative effort from a large cast of characters. Over the course of the past few months, the De Vere Whites have placed a lot of trust in this group of contractors that will bring their pub to life. While the brothers are extremely hands-on with every aspect of the process, Henry also realizes, “I’m not an architect, I’m not a contractor. I’m a bartender.” This does not mean, however, that he and Simon are not accountable for issues outside of their expertise. “All this stuff I don’t know about,” Henry says, “I have to learn and then hold people accountable for it: code, structural integrity, things like that. You have to pay attention.”
Cheap vs. cost effective
With the guidance of this team—headed up by the de Vere’s Irish Pub project manager—the brothers make the most cost-effective decisions possible. Henry is quick to point out that there is a world of difference between “cheap” and “cost-effective.” “If you cut corners on the duct work, all of a sudden you’re in a restaurant where you have one ice-cold chair and a bunch of hot ones.” He follows this up, however, by commenting, “You hear ‘That’s a minor cost,’ in every sub-section of the plans.” Clearly, a collection of minor costs can quickly add up to one major cost, so the De Vere Whites are performing a constant balancing act between being cost-conscious and having the foresight to determine what expenses are necessary and savvy in the long-run.
Insider expertise
The brothers rely not only on building specialists, but also specialists of another kind no less crucial: people that actually have practical experience working the bar and kitchen on a day-to-day basis. Henry points out the importance of striking a careful balance between aesthetics and efficiency. “Designers often design things to look nice, not necessarily to work well.”
With this in mind, Henry can often be found chatting with co-workers at the bar he currently works at, having them look over the pub plans to see if they spot any potential counter-intuitive design elements. A short conversation can potentially save thousands of dollars for de Vere’s Irish Pub in the long-run in terms of efficiency. “If you’ve never cooked before, you don’t know how you can save three steps. So I can go to a chef and he’ll tell me that a line won’t work like that. A lot of times what you want as a person who has to work on it is different than how someone would design it. There’s a flow and it’s crucial to design for that flow.”
Long-term planning
Henry and Simon have also been given a crash course in the art of advance planning. In order to save money down the line, they are trying to think of any and every detail they might encounter before the restaurant’s walls even go up. While much of it might sound like minutia, the de Vere Whites know from the experience of others that “little” forgotten details can result in not-so-little costs down the line. For example: Where will the Christmas tree go? Is there an electrical outlet nearby? Even though they haven’t yet applied for an entertainment permit, Henry knows that eventually they will want to offer live music so he’s plotted out where a band would eventually play to make sure the area can accommodate it. “It costs more money to go back and do it later,” he reasons. “You have to shut down for business or shut off part of the restaurant. Or do it in the middle of the night which costs even more money.”
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