As vaccinations become more prevalent and CDC guidelines and protocols continue to lighten, customers everywhere are itching to return to their favorite locales. In order to meet this influx of demand, restaurants all over the country have begun to reopen. What many operators fail to realize, however, is that for many of these customers, the bar has been raised significantly.
Over the past year, the food service industry has been rife with flashy innovations, evolutions, and renovations, so it’s only natural that customers will be eager to find out what’s new in every location they visit. Thankfully, Texas-based stainless steel fabrication and custom millwork company, Stanford Sonoma, is a godsend for operators looking to show their customers that they’ve been busy by introducing sister ecommerce company Stanford Equipment.
“One of Stanford Sonoma’s and Stanford Equipment’s biggest strengths lies in our versatility,” said co-owner Trinity Hall. “We have customers all over the spectrum, from restaurateurs to equipment companies, and the flexibility of our business allows us to offer something to each of them. We can simultaneously provide restaurateurs with our products while supporting other equipment dealers with custom works, all the while with full transparency and respecting their customer relationships. Our operation is 24/7 now having the ecommerce platform, as well.” The sheer breadth of Stanford Sonoma’s line of solutions is unique. With a track record of success in commercial kitchens that spans hospitality (restaurants/hotels), education (schools/university cafeterias), government sector, and food service facilities across the United States, Stanford Sonoma has the experience and knowledge to fulfill any task that’s asked of them.
“What also sets Stanford Sonoma apart is our emphasis on the creative design aspect of every order that comes our way,” stated Hall. “We urge every customer to come in with their dreams.”
“Part of what we offer is a consultative sales process,” Hall continued, “so if you come in with your dream commercial kitchen, it then becomes our job to help mold that dream into something that we can realistically bring to life. Because you never want to build a space too large, our service is comprehensive. We can take a seed from a customer and have our designers grow it into a variety of options, or we can help customers dial back a grand vision into something that’s proportional to their current scale.”
For Stanford Sonoma, this creative aspect became particularly important when it came to pandemic accommodations. “As takeout and delivery demand began to skyrocket, so did requests for takeout and delivery-related products,” Hall continued. “The combination of Covid protocols such as barriers and cleaning stations, paired with new shelves and other fixtures, presented the risk of many businesses feeling sterile and unwelcoming. Our flexible creativity helped many of our customers circumvent this risk, allowing them to meet protocols and create new space while still maintaining a healthy and inviting atmosphere through our unique designs.”
Stanford Sonoma has had particular success with Texas coffee shop, 151 Coffee. With three current locations, and over twenty more on the way, the brand is moving very quickly, thanks in part to Stanford Sonoma and Stanford Equipment. “The owner came to us with several issues,” recalled Hall. “One of which was height. Certain elements were too high for the employees to reach while others were creating discomfort by being too low and forcing the same workers to bend over frequently. The owner also wanted an aesthetic upgrade, and had a very specific style in mind. Because of our unique niche in the fabrication industry, we were able to address both issues. We achieved balance between ergonomics and aesthetics without compromising either, and were able to help the owner create his very own brand-standard. 151 Coffee is now exploding across the Texas coffee scene thanks in part to its unique combination of form and function.”
Stanford Sonoma has already made its mark on the industry, even having been recognized by the Office of the Secretary of Defense for their excellent work. Although the pandemic has presented the food industry with significant challenges, Stanford Sonoma is ready more than ever to help its customers by providing a one-stop shop for commercial kitchens and now offering Stanford Equipment ecommerce solution. “Seeing our customers’ eyes light up as we turn their dreams into reality is by far the most rewarding part of the job, and we at Stanford Sonoma look forward to doing exactly that for any who come our way,” concluded Hall.
To learn more about Stanford Sonoma, visit their custom fabrication and ecommerce websites.
