FAST. AFFORDABLE. HEALTHY.
COMMERCIAL KITCHENS
What is today's consumer looking for?
What’s the biggest item on your to-do list right now?
Describe a typical day.
Tell us what makes you so unique?
Today’s consumer demands healthy, fresh and sustainably sourced food. People are extremely conscious about what they put in their bodies and they think about how food affects their personal well being, environment and local economy. I have close to a dozen projects in different stages of construction and pre-construction. I spend my days reviewing site reports with contractors, coordinating Just Salad’s vendors, reviewing new store plans, and following up with expediters and architects on permitting and construction documents.
My biggest challenge is learning the ins and outs of new regions on the fly. We are doing an incredible amount of work in new markets, and it is on me to get to know the contractors, architects, supply chain and permitting processes.
I handle the entire construction process from the time the lease is signed to the day we hand over to ops. I am responsible for the store design, construction documents, permitting and construction management. My biggest challenge is coordinating and negotiating with the dozens of contractors it takes to open a store, while staying on budget and hitting our schedule. CCR
One-on-One with... » Theodore Dubin
director of design & construction, Just Salad
What’s the most rewarding part of your job? When I see customers and employees in the store for the first time. It is the culmination of all the hard work and late nights it takes to build a new restaurant. It’s a very satisfying feeling. What was the best advice you ever received? Stay on top of your subs. My Mom told me that. Your contractors and vendors need to know that you are holding them accountable at all times. What’s the best thing a client ever said to you? The best conversations are when we are reviewing new store sales and the numbers are beating expectations right out of the gate. I like to think execution in the design and construction phase help move the needle and turns an average store into a cash cow. Name the three strongest traits any leader should have and why The ability to listen, adapt and hold people accountable. When people feel like you value their opinion and heed their advice, they take ownership in what they are doing. A good leader makes everyone feel personally invested in the process of whatever they are doing.
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Every project has its own unique set of challenges and roadblocks. If you can’t adapt and find solutions in real time, you can’t successfully lead a complex project. A good leader not only has the ability to hold other people accountable for their work, but also has the humility to take responsibility for himself. If you want to take credit for success you also need to take responsibility for failure. You need to be able to admit when something goes wrong and recognize that, even if its not necessarily your fault, you are ultimately responsible for the project. The key is the ability to learn from bad situations. What book are you reading now? I’m reading a book called “High Rise.” It’s about the construction of an office building in midtown Manhattan. It’s fascinating to see the same challenges I face on a day-to-day basis play out on a $500 million project. How do you like to spend your down time? I like to spend as much time as possible outside. I take every opportunity I can to play basketball, golf, run and go fishing. When fall comes around, I’ll be going back and forth to Ann Arbor as much as possible for Michigan football games.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — MAY : JUNE 2019
