Becoming a Tea Room - sinks and plumbing



We are happy to announce that the Town Selectmen approved our request, and Fancy That is now a "Common Victualler" (i.e., we can now serve food :))!

Next, we tackle the required commercial plumbing!  We are going to need the following sinks:  (1) a three-bay sink for "ware washing" (to wash, rinse and sanitize); (2) a hand-wash sink, to wash our hands before plating food; and
(3) a utility sink for mops, et cetera.  If we were going to prepare food on site, we would also need a prep-sink, but because we are working with a local caterer who will prepare our tea sandwiches, we only need the three sinks I mentioned above.

PVC is not allowed in a commercial setting; copper pipes and cast iron drains must be used.  This means that having the required sinks installed is going to be a much larger expense than we anticipated, but we are hopeful we'll find a way to make it work.  We are still in the process of studying code, working with plumbers, and town officials, but we'll keep you posted on our progress! 

NOTE to those preparing to become a tea room:  when preparing your budget, be sure to plan on a large expense for commercial plumbing.  Talk to commercial plumbers for an estimate in advance so there are no costly surprises.  Also, before buying any equipment, check with your town's board of health to determine what they will require (3-bay sinks must be a certain size, for example)

More soon!  Thanks for stopping by!