Reference
Factory Restaurants Finland
Jani Antila
Entrepreneur, Chairman of the Board
“There’s no reason to change a trusted designer.”
DAVANTI Finland’s Jouni Heinonen has been the trusted designer for my restaurant chain for 15 years. Our collaboration began with the kitchen project at our Espoo location. Since then, I have practically exclusively used Jouni’s kitchen design services. We have a good chemistry, and our visions align – you could say we’re on the same wavelength in the culinary world. We both have extensive backgrounds in the restaurant and kitchen industry, which enables us to brainstorm together and challenge each other’s proposals to find the best solutions. Jouni operates with an entrepreneurial mindset, so discussions have been possible at virtually anytime.
In Factory restaurants, lunch sales from the buffets occur over a few hours, but food preparation begins in the morning.
From the outset of the design process, the entire flow must be considered, from the kitchen to the buffet and dish return – in other words, how to operate efficiently and avoid unnecessary steps. Properly placed machinery, equipment, and workstations enhance workflow and improve ergonomics. The kitchens and buffets designed by Jouni have almost without exception been right and ready from the first go.
An experienced designer with their network and contacts assists in understanding the costs of a kitchen project. Jouni knows the manufacturers of high-quality kitchen equipment as well as the available range of equipment, with its pros and cons. Based on his proposals, it is significantly easier to choose the most suitable and cost-effective equipment for us. Since investments in professional kitchen equipment and machinery are substantial, good advice is more than welcome. By collaborating with Davanti, we don’t have to be at the mercy of a single vendor or factory.
Heinonen doesn’t just draw machines and equipment into the plan; he also has a broad understanding of construction. He knows what aspects need to be considered during the building phase of a renovation project, for example, and communicates this information to the client, designers, and other contractors.
As a critical entrepreneur who doesn’t settle for just anything, I strive to find the best partners to support my business and the demands of my busy entrepreneurial life. Fifteen years of collaboration with Jouni speaks volumes about my satisfaction with his service.
Restaurant Factory
- Restaurant chain founded in 2000
- 21 buffet-style lunch restaurants in Finland (3/2025)
- The majority of the locations are situated in the Helsinki metropolitan area, with additional locations in Salo and Lahti