Andy Sehremelis on Restaurant Operations From the Owner's Side

By Andy Sehremelis · October 29, 2026

Andy Sehremelis has built, owned and operated restaurants in Southern California, including the Archibald's restaurant concept, alongside his work as founder of Parkcrest Construction, which he started in Chino in 1992. Restaurant ownership offers a direct view of how design, staffing and daily routines determine whether a location performs.

Andy Sehremelis on the Restaurant as an Operating System

A restaurant is a sequence of connected steps: receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, assembly, service and cleanup. A delay at any step affects every step after it. Successful operators manage the restaurant as a system and look for the point where work slows down, rather than treating each problem in isolation.

That view applies to both dine-in and drive-thru service. The drive-thru lane, the order point, the payment window and the pickup window must be coordinated with the kitchen so that the customer is not waiting on a bottleneck the operator could have anticipated.

Andy Sehremelis on Kitchen Layout

Kitchen layout is one of the most consequential decisions in a restaurant. Equipment placement determines how far employees walk, how often they cross paths and how quickly an order moves from preparation to the counter. A layout that looks efficient on a drawing can create congestion once a full crew is working during a peak period.

Owners with construction experience have an advantage in this area. Decisions about hood placement, floor drains, walk-in coolers and electrical capacity are easier to make correctly during construction than to correct later in an operating restaurant.

Andy Sehremelis on Labor Management

Labor is one of the largest controllable costs in a restaurant. Scheduling to match customer demand by hour and by day, cross-training employees across stations and keeping turnover low all contribute to stable labor costs. Turnover in particular carries hidden costs, including training time, slower service and inconsistent food quality.

Good scheduling depends on good information. Sales history by hour, seasonal patterns and local events help managers staff appropriately without overstaffing slow periods.

Andy Sehremelis on Consistency and Guest Experience

Customers return to restaurants that deliver the same experience each visit. Consistent portions, recipes, cooking times and service standards build trust. Consistency also depends on clean dining rooms, restrooms and exterior areas, which customers notice before they taste the food.

Written recipes, prep sheets and quality checks help maintain that consistency when staff changes. Managers who taste food, observe service and walk the property regularly catch problems early.

Andy Sehremelis on Food Cost and Purchasing

Food cost control begins with accurate recipes and portioning, and continues with ordering, receiving and inventory practices. Over-ordering leads to waste. Under-ordering leads to menu items running out during service. Regular inventory counts and comparison of actual usage against expected usage help an owner identify waste, spoilage or portioning issues.

Andy Sehremelis on Maintenance in Restaurants

Restaurant equipment operates under heavy daily use. Fryers, grills, refrigeration and ventilation systems require routine cleaning and service. Preventive maintenance reduces the chance of a failure during a busy period, and it extends the useful life of expensive equipment.

Building systems deserve the same attention. Grease interceptors, roofing, plumbing and HVAC systems all affect whether a restaurant can operate without interruption.

Andy Sehremelis on Applying Operating Lessons to Construction

Operating restaurants informs how Parkcrest Construction approaches restaurant buildings. Drive-thru stacking, kitchen flow, storage capacity and service access are evaluated with daily operation in mind. The goal is a building that supports the crew during the busiest hour of the week, not only one that meets the drawings.

For an owner who also builds, restaurant operations provide a continuous source of practical feedback. Each operating issue identified in an existing restaurant becomes a design consideration for the next one.