After five years of success with their first restaurant, Leeann and Taylor Mason decided it was time to open a larger venue so more people could enjoy their food. The husband-and-wife duo conceived and opened Luca, an upscale wood-fired Italian restaurant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. To ensure the comfort and safety of their employees, they sought a flooring solution for the kitchen that was both ergonomic, restorative and slip resistant. Flooring from Ecore turned out to be the recipe for the Italian eatery.
One issue they had faced in their previous establishment was the mats on the kitchen floor. They had holes that collected dirt and moisture and cleaning them was a chore that made them hazardous for slips and falls. Drying them was even worse as they had to be flipped over, propped up or hung, which was both time-consuming and left bare floors even more prone to slipping.
When designing the layout of Luca, the Masons wanted flooring that was water resistant and that offered more comfort. Long-time customer Art Dodge, CEO of Ecore, suggested they consider resilient flooring for their new establishment. The Masons agreed and, after talking with their Ecore sales rep about their specific needs, decided on Ecore’s HydroGrip Motivate flooring in slate grey color for the new space.
HydroGrip Motivate was installed in the new restaurant’s two kitchen areas, including the production kitchen that encompasses the entire lower level of the restaurant and also in the open-line kitchen that patrons can view from their tables.
HydroGrip Motivate is an engineered surface with a slip-resistant safety surface layer fused to a five- millimeter vulcanized composition rubber (VCR) base layer. The flooring offers superior slip resistance in addition to ergonomic support and comfort underfoot, which makes it ideal for wet areas and other commercial spaces where safety is a top priority. The flooring also eliminates the need for an underlayment, reducing the overall cost of installation, and the easy-to-maintain surface is hygienic due to its heat-welded installation.
It did not take long for the Masons to appreciate the benefits of the flooring. They were impressed with its water resistance, ease of cleaning, and slip-resistant properties. They no longer deal with the hassle of cleaning and drying out mats, and the slip-resistant features make the floor safer for employees.
The HydroGrip Motivate flooring also offers ergonomic support and comfort for employees who stand for six to eight hours a day, while also offering an appealing aesthetic for the space.
Luca Restaurant has been using the Ecore flooring for several years now, and they report that it is holding up well with no divots or variation. Best of all, the staff enjoys working on the flooring, and the Masons appreciate that their employees no longer complain about tired legs and feet.
