Tap and Barrel is a culture driven organization with a local lens, that is growing across BC with a vision to expand nationally. Daniel Frankel has instilled a love of arts and culture into each location by featuring local artists as well as some of his own work, while building a passionate restaurant crew. The Russell Hendrix Design Team began working with Tap and Barrel when they were a small start-up with big ambitions. With a background in culinary, Daniel recognized the need for a consistent operation to be able to deliver the experience he envisioned as he grew. With the new builds being large, prominent establishments, some with two kitchens on different floors and a heavy beverage program, Russell Hendrix was tasked with finding Design solutions that would allow Tap & Barrel to adapt to each unique footprint, accommodating high volume dine-in and take-out, while creating a consistent local and community vibe.

The Russell Hendrix Design Team worked closely with Tap and Barrell to develop consistent and scalable, branding, kitchen layouts, cooklines and commercial equipment standards that were tried and tested to deliver the menu quality and experience they were striving for. This new road map is translated into detailed design proposals including drawings, layouts and concepts that can be vetted against potential sites to ensure there is a fit that meets expectations and budget. As the Commercial Kitchen Foodservice Consultant, RH shares the brand standards with the interior designers, architects, and general contractors resulting in an efficient approach for each build.

As each build is presented with unique challenges, the dedicated RH Project Manager is on-site and available to make any adjustment throughout construction and commissioning. For example, Bridges has its kitchen on the second floor facilitating the need to ensure all clearances for doors and elevators were confirmed for the delivery of large pieces of equipment. When traditional delivery methods couldn’t be used, the RH team arranged for cranes to unload and deliver the equipment, working with the city to allow for lane closures.