By DUSTIN MILLER
•
08 Jul, 2023
Welcome to Seton Spices! A new Nepalese cuisine restaurant in SE Calgary. Built from bare walls and floors This was a new build and started from concrete floors with four walls. We handled all the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and all types of mechanical in order to get this space to a 1600 square foot restaurant that seats 65. City of Calgary strict codes for new builds New construction has much more stringent codes than renovated spaces. We’ve incorporated LED lighting everywhere, including the exterior signage. The bathroom taps are all electronic, to minimize water waste, and the bathrooms are handicap-friendly with lower vanities. Tiles cover the room for easier cleaning and sanitization. The gas system in the kitchen was extremely complicated to work with as we had to run our gas piping all through the ceiling system in order to incorporate the stainless-steel backings. That was complicated to do under the hood system that runs the length of the kitchen. All the tile in the kitchen ceilings is smooth, making it easier for cleaning. That's required by health and safety for fire code. Those panels have a fire rating as well as all the steel doors. General Features This restaurant was specifically designed for food couriers. They have their own entrance, complete with a bench and table. There’s also a back door to the kitchen for the cooks to get the food orders in and out easily. The floor is a scratch resistant, ceramic coated surface. Easy to clean. We put in a beautiful T-bar ceiling with alternating panels to maintain the high ceiling and open concept. All of the dining room lights are what’s called bubble lighting to give the space energy efficient lighting and keep the electrical costs down, while providing a beautiful dining experience. The one wall of the dining room is all traditional stone with black decorative pillars to really accent the solid amber wood tables. We ended up getting the tables and chairs from another restaurant. We took them back to our shop, sanded them down, and refinished them in a beautiful, black, shiny finish to fit the rest of the décor. The bar is done in a panel style board, which is very popular nowadays, incorporating the natural color style woods of walnuts and oak. The black accents incorporate with the dining area and brings a warm feeling to the restaurant. The bar is complete with a granite countertop, bar sink and fridges, to serve you liquor or coffee or whatever you desire. There are some warm elements such as the elephant head and lion. The white horse brings good luck in India and adds some sleek touches to give it a very warm, family feeling. Kitchen Features Indian cooking requires lots of big pots, tandoors, deep fryers and several gas burners. Everything in the kitchen is state-of-the-art equipment as well as several other elements to meet code, which made for a complicated kitchen design. The electronic heat sensors control the temperature of the cooking surfaces and will automatically kick in the fan and exhaust system when it gets too hot. This includes a stainless-steel, state-of-the-art fire suppression system as well. Building Works custom built the walk-in cooler, with a cold top system on top to make it extremely quiet, very efficient and easier to maintain. We also custom fabricated all the stainless steel panels to cover the kitchen walls. There are 2 heavy-duty freezer units directly on the cooking line and the dough mixer was hardwired to the wall. All the walls were covered in fiberglass reinforced plastic, or FRP board, to ensure easy cleaning and a waterproof system wall. The floors are a 3/8 rubber compression flooring to make it easy for the cooking staff. Easier on their body when they're cooking right? Designed for Seton It's very easy to solidify a lease and get a place that you need. But you need to know what you're working with in that area, to fit in and also become successful. The Seton area is quite trendy, with a Kensington or a downtown feel, deep in the South East of Calgary. It caters to the hospital, movie theatre, and a high-end gym with several gastro pubs. This area has a late night vibe with a young, vibrant crowd. So the restaurant has to reflect that with a warm inviting fireplace at the entrance, welcoming bar with a slick design, keeping the place modern while still bringing the traditional values of the restaurant. The Nepalese menu consists of rice, wheat, orange lentils, vegetables and meats. There’s more vibrant flavors, using natural products. They make something called Takari, which is a very intricate vegetable preparation. It’s very healthy food. It takes traditional Indian food and kicks it up a notch and a little more modern. Happy clients When I met with Ramesh and his family at the opening, they're just tickled pink on how everything looks, the colours, the designs, the materials we put together, and our staff that worked here. I think they were hesitant at the start, as they’ve never done this before, and it took a bit to have confidence in me and the vision I had for them. We did a lot of the finishing detail, designing the kitchen, choosing appliances, and picking colors, décor items and artwork. But once they started to see what we were putting together by the hallway point, they never asked questions anymore. And when we got to the finished product, they were ecstatic. They just said Wow. Take the opportunity to dine at Spices in Seton. And call us for your new restaurant build.