McKesson

elite|studio e has partnered with McKesson on several of its foodservice operation projects. Following a renovation at McKesson’s Texas headquarters, we were contracted to work with multiple architects in the United States and Canada to design and build the foodservice experience in Missassagua, Canada. The scope included a café, kitchen, multipurpose dining room and pantries.

When designing any foodservice operation research has to be compiled. To provide the best solution for a company, our team wants to know the most popular menu options, what time of day the employees eat, do they eat and run, and more. 

For example, in the United States, the deli and salad bar are often the most popular stations. In Canada, the entrée and grill stations tend to be busier. The popularity of a station can determine the size, queuing, the integration of pre-order and other technologies, and ultimately the offering. Another fact to know about foodservice in Canada is that people don’t use a lot of ice, if at all, in their drinks. This is exactly the opposite of the United States. As a result, we have different calculations for different regions. Understanding these details helps ensure the success of a space and the operation.

In addition to meeting the needs of the consumer, there are technical requirements such as food operations standards and coordination. When designing in Canada, all of our drawings were converted to Metric.

Lastly, when designing and specifying equipment for a project outside of the United States our factory knowledge and Project Coordination team became critical. McKesson was built in 2021 when, at times, the border between the United States and Canada was closed due to the pandemic. Unless otherwise necessary, our team specified millwork and equipment from Canadian factories allowing for faster and less expensive shipping, and no delays due to Customs.

The team at elite|studio e uses the same knowledge and process to design a foodservice operation in any location. We take care and pride in our programming capabilities and our ability to learn more to ensure the end result is elite.