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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Family Entertainment Center (FEC) Feasibility, Design and Consulting Services

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The White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group is a full-service feasibility, design, production and consulting company for location-based family and children's leisure, entertainment and eatertainment venues. 

Our family entertainment center design and production services are not limited to the physical FEC facility. Rather, our comprehensive approach covers every aspect of developing, building, setting-up, opening and operating a FEC from feasibility to management.

White Hutchinson has a core team of design and other professionals (our Design Alliance) that includes the disciplines of architecture, interior and mechanical design; market research; brand, name and logo development; acoustics and audio-visual design; horticulture and landscape design; kitchen design; food and beverage service start-up; entertainment and play attraction design and procurement; game room operation; graphics, wayfinding and sign design; child development; management start-up and training. Additionally, we collaborate with the best quality suppliers throughout the world on the design of entertainment and play equipment and activities. 

We have found from experience that the only way we can deliver a quality and successful family entertainment center type product to our clients is through a comprehensive and tightly managed production process that coordinates all aspects of the business, just not the architectural improvements. FEC type facilities are very specialized and there are hundreds of facility, equipment, operations, branding, management and marketing details that need to be simultaneously addressed and coordinated during development for success. 

White Hutchinson prides itself on its independence.  Unlike many consultants and designers who derive secondary income from commissions on equipment or from contractors they specify for clients, our ethical standards prohibit us from accepting any such income, which could bias our advice to clients. As a result, we have no loyalties or obligations to any suppliers or contractors. We have no ownership, nor will we accept any commissions, rebates or other compensation from suppliers or contractors. We believe it is our job to represent the best interest of our clients and help them make the best business decisions, which sometimes is to not to proceed with a project.

Our comprehensive family entertainment center design and production services cover every aspect of designing developing, opening and operating a FEC, including:

• Site evaluation and selection
• Market research and feasibility
• Center concept development
• Qualitative guest research
• Cultural research
• Financial projections
• Cost estimates
• Mix/program development
• Operating capacity/design day calculations
• Capacity calculations for all entertainment and events
• Space/adjacency planning
• Concept planning
• Brand development
• Project name development
• Logo and graphic identity design
• Schematic design
• Architectural design
• Interior design
• Mechanical design
• Electrical design
• Civil engineering design
• Landscape design
• Mascot/costume character design and procurement
• Children's safety design including ASTM and CPSC compliance
• Design for adult and children's accessibility
• Design for family friendliness
• Wayfinding/sign design
• Acoustic design
• Audio-visual design
• Lighting design
• Custom millwork design
• Assistance with selecting security systems
• Food Service:
  • Menu development and pricing
  • Recipe development
  • Product sourcing
  • Kitchen, counter area and bar design
  • Select and source small wares
  • Coordinate bidding for all kitchen equipment, including comparative analysis of bids
  • Develop menu board concepts and designs
  • Quality control standards and procedures
  • Sanitary practices and procedures
  • Waste monitoring and control
  • Inventory control and ordering
  • Policy and procedure manuals
  • Hiring assistance and screening for specialized F&B staff, including F&B manager and chef
  • Training manuals
  • Food service personnel training
  • Kitchen set-up
  • POS and technology systems selection and set-up
  • Start-up food & beverage operations
• Furniture and fixture design/specifications and procurement coordination
• Custom design/specification and procurement coordination for all entertainment and play attractions, equipment and supplies
• Custom theming and finishes design/specification and procurement coordination
• Design/specification and procurement of all finish materials
• Coordinate reviews and approvals with all governmental entitlement agencies
• Assistance with selecting a contractor and bid analysis
• Coordinate final construction documents, specifications and bids
• Review and approve all color dye lot, color finishes and material submissions
• Review and approve shop drawings
• Construction progress inspections
• Coordinate installation of all furnishings, fixtures, entertainment and play equipment, signage and other finishes
• Develop and monitor development schedule
• Management Start-up:
  • Business culture
  • Organization chart and all staff positions & job descriptions
  • Operational procedures
  • Manager’s handbook
  • Employee handbook
  • Selection assistance with and interview manager and key personnel
  • Management incentive program
  • Hiring standards
  • Labor law compliance
  • Staff orientation program
  • Guest services program
  • Mystery shopper program
  • Cash and inventory management
  • Point-of-sale and debit card system selection
  • Banking procedures
  • Loss controls
  • Staff training programs
  • Group sales
  • Marketing and advertising program
  • Advise on design of brochure & collateral
  • Membership/loyalty programs
  • Labor management
  • Attraction and general admission pricing
  • Risk management & quick response emergency plan
  • OSHA compliance
  • Amber alert procedures
  • Day-to-day operations & facility management
  • Birthday party programs and training
  • Advise on required training for first aid and CPR
  • Develop working with children and families customer service manual for staff
  • Customer service training for working with children and families
• Game Room:
  • Layout, selection, procurement or contracting advice for games
  • Optimum ticket payout for games
  • Point level formula for redemption prizes
  • Game room and prize center promotions
  • Game tournaments
  • Redemption store/counter design, and merchandising
  • Prize selection and procurementTraining for game technician and game room staff
• Advise on development of sponsorship programs and implement in design
• Development and training on hygiene, health and sanitation policies for any play areas
• Assistance with other areas of management and start-up of operations as required
• Prepare punch lists
• Post occupancy evaluations
• Develop post occupancy adjustments
• Post occupancy re-training
• Consulting and assistance on all other areas of development, opening and operations

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