"We duplicated nearly everything from the original restaurant and added all new equipment with the exception of a pasta extruder," says Cook. "Johnny wanted to build in longevity for the restaurant and make it easier for the staff to prepare food with durable equipment. He didn't cut corners in any way."

The setup also features a few energy-saving pieces of equipment. Exhaust hoods reduce the amount of CFM going out — thereby lessening the amount of air conditioning needed — and allowing for cost savings. Other energy-saving equipment includes tankless water heaters and on-demand ventilation systems.

In the back of the house, a separate room houses the office of John Charles Carrabba Jr., Johnny's dad, who works at the restaurant three days a week and uses the meat grinder to make fresh sausage. He also manages parts of the business. Staff working in this area use a machine to make from-scratch pasta as well as mozzarella cheese.

In the baking and pastry area, staff use a floor mixer and prep tables to prepare bread dough, which is formed and baked in convection ovens a few steps away near the tilt skillets and range. A small reach-in freezer holds baking ingredients.

The new restaurant also features a 500-square-foot expo kitchen, which is 100 square feet larger than the similar space in the original restaurant. A nearby beverage and pantry area contains a warmer drawer, tea brewer, coffee grinder and brewer, hot water dispenser, undercounter refrigerator, ice/soda dispenser and a POS counter. The expo area contains several stations visible to guests. At one end is the cold prep area, where staff prepare salads, cold appetizers and desserts. The area contains dessert and refrigerated rails, a food slicer, and a froster/chiller for glasses, mugs and plates.

"In order to do the large volume here, we added additional refrigeration in the expo kitchen area, so if one goes down, we still have the others operating," Carrabba says. "We have two ice machines, two additional ranges and three stand-alone fryers compared to one large fryer battery so we're protected if one goes down." Another addition to the expo and back-of-the-house kitchens is more flat working surfaces in the form of tables and counters. An employee can also work continuously at the bread station in the middle of the expo area.

A hot food table and two six-burner ranges sit adjacent to the cold prep area where staff prepare dishes such as brick chicken, fettuccine Alfredo and sautéed spinach.

Further along the line, staff use a slicer, three fryers and three six-burner ranges to prepare hot appetizers and daily specials featuring pasta, fish and meat. An overhead broiler melts cheese and browns glazes. The adjacent broil station, which features a wood-fired grill using pecan and oak woods, sits adjacent to one of the ranges. Here staff prepare 90 percent of the fish items, including salmon, shrimp, sea scallops and tilapia, as well as steaks and lamb, veal and pork chops. Chicken dishes such as chicken tossed with wild porcini, cremini, shitake and portabella mushrooms, port wine sauce and a touch of cream, and chicken topped with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and basil lemon butter sauce, are also prepared here.

At the end of the line stand the prep area and pizza oven, which staff use to prepare specialty pizzas. The oven also bakes bruschetta, garlic toast, rosemary-roasted potatoes and calzones.

Standing in the middle of the expo line, the expediter coordinates hot and cold dishes and makes aesthetic adjustments before handing plates to servers.

Seating surrounds the pizza, grill and salad/apps stations, allowing guests to watch the culinary staff's entertaining talents up close and personal. "I believe this gives guests the memorable dining experience they are looking for," Carrabba says.

Guest seating, with full menu service, is also available in the bar area. The bar features convenient positioning of liquor and wine storage, allowing staff easy access. All undercounter refrigeration here contains thermostats that can be calibrated individually to accommodate wine and beer. Draft beer is now an offering at the new restaurant.

The dishwashing area is positioned at one end of the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination of dirty and clean dishes. A conveyor-type dishwasher expedites cleaning of plates and glasses. "The positioning of the dishroom as close to the front of the house as we could place it allows staff to be on the floor serving customers rather than walking a long distance through the kitchen," Cook says.

Another addition to this new restaurant is a separate to-go foods section accommodating the 20 percent of business from customers who want takeout food. A curbside carryout area aligns with a dedicated parking lot, eliminating the need for customers to walk in the front door for this service.

The transition to the new restaurant reinforces the culture Carrabba created — upbeat, fun, not serious or stuffy, and offering delicious food and memorable customer service. With the additions of space, natural light and new equipment, employees are more content, which contributes to the positive, hospitable atmosphere.

Design Capsule

• Ownership: Carrabba's Original Inc.
• Opened: November 5, 2012; first one, December 26, 1986
• Headquarters: Houston
• Size: 13,000 sq. ft., including a 4,500-sq.-ft. back-of-house kitchen, 500-sq.-ft. front-of-house expo kitchen, 6,500-sq.-ft. dining room, and 500-sq.-ft. bar
• Seats: 250
• Average Check: $35
• Total Annual Sales: $10 million to $12 million
• Transactions: 900 customers/day
• Hours: Daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; weekends until 11 p.m.
• Menu Specialties: Chicken Bryan Texas, Pollo Rosa Maria and Mamma Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup, enhanced by a wood-burning grill; signature house-made pastas, calamari, margherita pizza and chicken parmesan; weekly specials
• Staff: 125, including 30 waiters
• Total Investment: $7.5 million
• Equipment Investment: $1 million
• Website: www.carrabbasoriginal.com

Key Players

• Owner: Johnny Carrabba
• Director of Operations: Hieu Nguyen
• Executive Chefs: Roberto Toral and Rafael Morales
• Managing Partner: Ron Brandani
• Architect and Interior Designer: Eubanks Group Architects, Houston; Ed Eubanks, AIA, owner and principal; Michael Dreef, AIA, lead architect and vice president; Paul Morin, project architect and senior associate; Holly Gervais, project team member; Camille Blanchet, interior designer
• Consultants: C&T Design and Equipment Co., Houston; Tom Cook, branch manager; Charles Munro, project manager
• Equipment Dealer: C&T Design and Equipment Co., Houston
• Construction: Mission Constructors Inc., Houston

Meet the Players