TriMark Foodcraft

Beyond the Ordinary at Applebees

While most franchises are relatively standardized in terms of design and layout, every so often TriMark Foodcraft gets a challenge.

What happens when the owner of a franchise in a Wisconsin shopping mall can't close while the facility is being transformed from 175 to 300 seats?

It was a tricky process.

Even though one franchise operator's management team had planned the move for a long time, they didn't get approval from the Mall's management until the last moment. Harry Gallins, President of TriMark Foodcraft explained that they had less than a month to get the equipment on-site and installed. All the work had to be done while the mall was closed. The new kitchen was built in an adjoining storefront while the old kitchen continued to function. When the new kitchen was done, the old one was sealed off and demolished. New bathrooms and a dining area were installed in its place. They switched the foodservices in one day.

"That one was extremely challenging." Gallins shook his head as he remembered the project. It was an open mall, so there were limitations as to when we work. We had people on-site, they slept during the day and worked at night. After we did the dining room, we redid their whole bar between midnight and six am -- in one evening."

More Challenges

The trouble with performing miracles is that they quickly become expectations. One Applebees in Richmond, VA had a two day furniture and equipment deadline, so TriMark Foodcraft sent in 10 guys, and did the job. Then, in late December of 2003, TriMark Foodcraft had another Applebees restaurant equipment and furniture package to install. They sent a crew of eight, and did that one in only three days.

Long-Term Clients

With that level of service, it's easy to understand why TriMark Foodcraft customers -- from individual and multi-unit restaurants and health care facilities to business and industry cafeterias to hotel owners -- come back time after time. The company has been in business since 1960, and its earliest customers remain loyal.

"We've built our account portfolio strictly on word of mouth -- good things said about us by our partner customers," Gallins said. "It's hard to quantify that, but it's really true. We've been dealing with some customers since the sixties and seventies. There's a real relationship there."

TriMark Foodcraft
  Crafting Service One Client at a Time
  Design, Fabrication, and Installation
  Beyond the Ordinary at Applebees