Building Foodservice Businesses

TriMark Marlinn doesn't just supply restaurants, it helps build them, often from the ground up.

"Every new project has challenges, whether it's a $50,000 job or a million dollar job," explains Mike Siegel, president of TriMark Marlinn. "You're meeting deadlines, you're dealing with specs and millwork. You always have time constraints. We focus on project management -- coordinating closely with the trades and general contractors, so that when an area is ready, we're ready. We do a lot of hands-on work after the plumbers and electricians, so it's our job to get everything finished on time for the inspection and opening."

When a restaurant is starting from scratch, TriMark Marlinn will send in one of its equipment specialists to help on the design. This work is done in collaboration with the chef, to streamline the kitchen for preparation of the items on the menu with the flexibility to adapt to new items and additions. After the initial details are sketched out, Marlinn creates layouts and designs with mechanicals for the trades, making sure that the general contractor knows where to run the water and gas lines, and what electrical wiring is necessary. TriMark Marlinn's tabletop specialists provide help with china, glass and silverware choices for table presentation.

Not just Restaurants

In addition to restaurants, bars and chains, TriMark Marlinn has helped country clubs in North Shore and Glen View renovate their kitchens, and built a wide range of public and private sector foodservice facilities. Recent highlights include the Morgan Stanley Discover Card cafeteria, which required wood and stainless steel laminated custom mill work, and of course the Brain Food Court at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

The Brain Food Court received the 2002 FoodService Equipment and Supplies Magazine Design of the Year Award for its dramatic display and presentation. For that project, the architect decided that he wanted a revolving grill, and left it up to TriMark Marlinn to figure out how to create and customize the equipment. In the end, the kitchen and servery project received rave reviews not only for it's aesthetic beauty, for its functionality and workflow efficiency.

TriMark Marlinn
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