Chris McKenty, Sales Development Manager for Edward Don & Company joined Josh Halpern on Room For Seconds at CraveCon 2025
Filmed live at Crave Con 2025, guest host Josh Halpern sat down with Chris McKenty of Edward Don & Company to explore the hidden systems that make restaurants actually work — from kitchen design to equipment strategy.
Chris walked through the critical role that kitchen layout plays in the success of a restaurant. Often designed months before a location opens, the kitchen acts as the operational engine of the business. If workflow, equipment placement, and production lines aren’t built correctly from the start, service speed, food quality, and overall profitability can all suffer.
Together, Josh and Chris pull back the curtain on the operational decisions happening behind the scenes — and why getting the kitchen right is one of the most important factors in building a successful restaurant.
When people think about what makes a restaurant successful, they usually picture the dining room—the ambiance, the service, the energy. But behind the scenes, there’s something far more important driving the entire operation: the kitchen.
Chris unpacked just how critical that space really is. “The kitchen is the engine that drives the restaurant. And if the engine fails, the restaurant could fail.”
It’s a simple idea, but one that’s often overlooked. Guests may never see the kitchen, but every aspect of their experience—speed, food quality, consistency—starts there.
What makes this even more fascinating is how early these decisions are made. Long before a restaurant ever opens its doors, kitchen layouts, workflows, and equipment choices are locked in. Those decisions don’t just affect opening day—they shape the business for years. Get it right, and everything flows. Get it wrong, and no amount of great service or marketing can fully compensate.
There’s a quiet shift happening across the restaurant industry—and it’s happening behind the scenes. Kitchens are getting smaller, but expectations from customers aren’t changing.
Rising rent and tighter margins are forcing operators to shrink their physical footprint, and that often means sacrificing space in the back of house. As McKenty explains, “The kitchens are always getting smaller… everyone has to pay less lease, so they have smaller footprints.”
The challenge is obvious: even with less space, restaurants are still expected to deliver full menus, fast service, and consistent quality—often to a packed dining room or a surge of takeout and delivery orders. That pressure is forcing operators to get smarter about how kitchens are designed. Every inch matters. Workflow, equipment selection, and efficiency aren’t just nice-to-haves anymore—they’re essential for survival in a tighter, more competitive landscape.
When it comes to building a restaurant kitchen, one of the biggest decisions isn’t just what to buy—it’s how much to spend. And as it turns out, more expensive isn’t always better.
Josh and Chris broke down what they call the “Ferrari vs. Ford” problem. “You can buy a fryer for $30,000 or one for $10,000—there’s the Ferrari, there’s the Ford.”
The temptation to go with the top-of-the-line option is real, especially for operators who want the best. But not every concept actually needs the Ferrari.
The smartest operators take a step back and think bigger. It’s not just about performance—it’s about efficiency, scalability, and long-term economics. One high-end equipment decision doesn’t stay isolated; it multiplies across every future location. What works for one store could become a costly burden at scale. In the end, success comes from aligning your equipment choices with your business model—not just your aspirations.
Chris McKenty, based in Auburn, WA, US, is currently a Sales Development Manager at Edward Don & Company. Chris brings experience from previous roles at Affordable Medical Supply and Hilton Worldwide. Chris holds a BA in Business / Hospitality Management @ Washington State University.
Justin Egan is the Co-Founder of Wing It On! and Vice President of Marketing & Franchise Development at Craveworthy Brands, where he plays a central role in shaping brand strategy, franchise growth, and consumer engagement across the company’s portfolio.
Currently the CBO for Craveworthy Brands and CEO of Big Chicken. Over 20 years of professional and leadership experience in industries ranging from Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG), to retail and now the restaurant business.
Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.
Do you know someone who would be great on this show? Let us know by emailing us at roomforsecondspodcast@gmail.com or sending a DM on social media @craveworthybrands