September 26, 2022 Upham’s Corner Comfort Station construction in the home stretch
It’s crunch time at the Upham’s Corner Comfort Station as construction winds down and plans are in progress for Comfort Kitchen’s long-awaited opening.
Partners Biplaw Rai and Kwasi Kwaa discuss kitchen layout
The final weeks of construction projects are always stressful, and this one is no exception. If one task in the schedule slips for reasons that are often out of the general contractor’s control, there’s a ripple effect that impacts the entire schedule. Then the team needs to shift gears to come up with a Plan B and sometimes a Plan C. At the Comfort Station, we learned that the epoxy floor product that was ordered well in advance was not going to arrive on time, which meant that the date planned for the kitchen equipment installation needed to change, as did the upholstery installation. Fortunately, the flooring problem was resolved, and the floor was installed this past weekend (9/24 ). Luckily the kitchen equipment provider had a cancellation so they could shift their schedule to accommodate ours.
New epoxy floors
However, the most critical piece of equipment for a restaurant – the range – is delayed, presumably the result of supply chain issues, even though it was ordered many months ago. Comfort Kitchen has had to figure out a backup menu plan so that they can open for business while they await their range delivery. There are many other such details to resolve before we can announce an opening, but we see major progress every day and the team is excitedly looking forward to a fully-operating restaurant.
If you have ever wondered why the new restaurant in your neighborhood is taking so long to open up, these are some of the reasons why. There are many, many moving parts to track to get to the finish line, and then, when you think you are done, you have the final unknown of how quickly the many required inspections will happen. We have our fingers crossed that we will be celebrating Comfort Kitchen’s opening with good enough weather still to enjoy outdoor dining on their lovely patio.