Rarely As Simple As It Seems

The Subway restaurant by my house was in the process of renovating an adjacent space into a larger dining room for its eatery. While having lunch there, I overheard the store's owner having a conversation with a customer about the project. The customer was clearly surprised at how much work went into what he thought was a pretty simple project. He didn't realize that plans had to be drawn up, permits needed to be obtained, licensed contractors had to be hired, and so on.

They say things are rarely as simple as they look. This is SO true when is comes to store and restaurant build outs and remodels. Even the smallest details get scrutinized by building review committees before approval is given and the project can begin. New store owners are often unaware of this. Those of us who have been in the industry for a while know it all too well.

Surfing around NYTimes.com this morning, I came across this blog post about the process involved in putting up a sign in front of a restaurant in Southampton, NY. While I'd like to say that Mr. Buschel's experience is the exception, it's actually quite normal.