Mandour Construction’s hospitality program assists first-time restauranteurs as well as established franchisees.
Mandour Construction is growing its market share in south Florida by expanding its services beyond general contracting to help entrepreneurs open their first restaurant or retail shop. Over his 20-year career, President Shrief Mandour has seen the major challenges in commercial construction and developed a full-service hospitality program to help his clients avoid those pitfalls.
“Everyone wants to own a business and be self-sustainable today, but they don’t have the resources or guidance,” Mandour says. “We developed a hospitality program at Mandour for entrepreneurs to help us understand their brand and let us worry about getting the doors open so they can go out there and focus on what they do best. That is where I see the future going.”
Mandour Construction’s hospitality program assists first-time restauranteurs as well as established franchisees with securing financing, site selection, architecture, interior design, procurement and construction buildouts. From start to finish, Mandour says his team is hands-on every step of the way.
“There is a great sense of growth in the market and a lot of new concepts being developed,” Mandour says. “South Florida is a haven for new concepts, especially in the food industry because it’s a melting pot of people. A lot of franchises have expanded into south Florida and there have been a lot of great concepts we have developed and helped open.”
A Sense of Purpose
Mandour got his start in construction 20 years ago as a laborer for high-end residential projects in New York City. After spending a majority of his career building both residential and commercial projects in New York, Mandour moved to Florida in 2014 to start his own general contracting firm that specialized in restaurant, retail and hospitality construction.
“I like building commercial projects because there is a sense of purpose behind it,” Mandour says. “When the project is completed, customers can walk in and have a good meal or great shopping experience, but also experience the hard work that goes into a space from the design, architecture, atmosphere and energy. It’s really up to us to bring that to life for people to enjoy.”
Mandour Construction was founded on five core principles: client satisfaction, detail, professionalism, organization and communication. With a focus on continuous improvement, the company strives to master these principles daily to successfully complete every project and build long-term client relationships.
Mandour says his team is hands-on and available to clients 24/7 to help guide them through the process. “This process is so stressful and the key thing about us is that we don’t treat our clients as another project or number,” he explains. “Some of the brands I work for, we have rolled out every location in the state of Florida for them because we became part of their family.”
For example, Mandour Construction has built every Nekter Juice Bar location in Florida since the franchise entered the state in 2018. “We built 10 locations for them and are highly regarded in the corporate office as one of their preferred contractors in the country,” Mandour says. “Every time we built a location, we would find better ways to perfect the process. That kind of involvement and devotion to clients [is something] you don’t see very often.”
Sustainable Partnerships
Mandour Construction’s relationship with the founders of Lemongrass Asian Bistro and Ramen Lab led to it overseeing the construction of their new concept, Ganzo Sushi. Located in Delray Beach, Fla., Ganzo Sushi is a casual restaurant that serves Japanese comfort food.
“It’s a really cool space that has a lot of great architectural elements from rope to greenery to reclaimed wood,” Mandour says. “In my eyes, Ganzo Sushi is one of the flagship projects we have built over the past couple of years. This project not only helped solidify Mandour Construction as a great restaurant builder, but gained the respect of existing restaurateurs.”
Ganzo Sushi was designed by Pamela Manhas, founder of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based restaurant and hospitality design firm Manhas Design. West Palm Beach, Fla., manufacturer Sabal Design produced specialty pieces for the restaurant, incorporating natural wood and refined steel elements into the contemporary design.
“I fell in love with the renderings last year and as the project developed, I provided my input and design sense on the space,” Mandour says. “Every time I walk in there, I see my contribution to the design of the space. Being part of the construction and bringing Manhas Design’s vision to life is an honor.”
Located in Delray Marketplace, Mandour says Ganzo Sushi helped breathe new life into the struggling shopping center. “That part of Delray Marketplace was on the decline,” he remembers. “The opening of Ganzo has created liveliness and an energized feeling to the area. To be able to see that is a very humbling experience.”
Mandour Construction plans to continue helping existing clients like the founders of Ganzo Sushi roll out concepts in multiple locations while attracting first-time restauranteurs with its full-service hospitality program, Mandour says.
