Over the course of the last year since we signed the lease, I'd interviewed 12 general contractors for the buildout. I went off of recommendations, Google searches, Yelp & Better Business Bureau reviews to find them. It had been almost a full year since we got our first bid of $175K. Since then, the most "cost effective" one I had found was for $53K, so the range was about as wide as the scope of the project itself.
"Remember GCs take a huge cut & some are more greedy than others," Chris explained to me in the beginning.
Through the process of elimination (GCs that were too pricey or were too busy on other projects), I was able to whittle down my list to three: Keith, Kenny & Eric. Each had good references, gave a bid that felt fair, seemed knowledgeable & were easy to talk to (i.e. spoke to us in a language we could understand).
I met each of them, one more time. I had a short list of questions:
- How long will it take to finish the project?
- Is there anything that we can do to help save money on construction?
- How much will it cost & when do you need the money to start?
Kate talked it over for a few days- it was a huge decision, one of the biggest Mad Munch decisions we would ever make. We knew we had to get it right.
They all said that they could have everything done & we could be open in about three months (February or March). There wasn't much we could really do to help, but they could work with us on the budget. All three bids were all in the same ballpark, right around $100K.
At the end of the day, it came down to going with who I felt the most comfortable with. Just like any sale, people will always lean toward a human connection, or go with their gut feeling.
And, that's what we did. We went with Eric, the same guy who tipped us $20 at our first Dynalectric Hackmaster Golf Tournament to make him an "After School Special," our peanut butter & raspberry jam grilled cheese.
Looking back now, there's no doubt that we made the right choice.
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