I have a big update to share from the Land of Lassi! As of last week, my permits are FINALLY in hand! For those who have been tracking, the entire permit approval process, from submission to approval, took nearly 4 months. Thanks to great work from Strata Architects, my construction plans were approved through with no revisions or comments from the city. Halleluiah! But the review was in the queue for a looooong time.
My Health permit was not as straight forward, however, and waiting on that signoff the cause of some nail biting. My menu and the associated cooking equipment plan generated a few rounds of back-and-forth with the health inspector and even the fire marshal! Some of this was due to rookie mistakes, where I simply was not aware of the regulations around which suppliers can service restaurants. Other feedback was driven by inconsistencies in how equipment is treated, specifically induction burners, which seem almost to be on a case-by-case basis. I had been planning to use induction burners to cook my chai, but this idea was causing my project to tip into a level of restaurant infrastructure neither the landlord nor my budget wanted to tackle. And so the burners had to get pulled at the last minute. Don't fret, though. Where there's a will for delicious chai, there's most definitely a way! I am working on plan B.
Permits now in hand, it's go time! Starting next week, utilities will get connected and my landlord, Greystar, will install a massive amount of foam before they pour the concrete floor. One the floor is in, the space will turn over to my contractor, Choice Construction Group. Since we're starting with a completely empty shell, the initial work is going to focus infrastructure: plumbing, electrical and HVAC, but then we'll move on to installing the floor tiles and building the bar. The project is fairly straightforward from a construction standpoint, but for me it's incredibly exciting to arrive at this stage. And to be honest, as someone who never had much passion for interior design, it's slightly stressful. I wake up in the middle of the night sweating over cement vs porcelain tile. Yet before long, those decisions will need to get made and the space will start coming together. If you want to see where I'm headed design-wise, check out my Pinterest board and let me know what you think. And if you like visiting tile shops as much as I like a good night's sleep, I may just be giving you a call.
XOXO, Susannah
