La Cucina opening awaits final approval

Tuesday, January 5, 1999

La Cucina opening awaits final approval

ASUCLA: New restaurant experiences more delays due to safety,
fire hazard

By Neal Narahara

Daily Bruin Contributor

The lights are on, but there is still nobody home for La Cucina,
which was most recently scheduled to open nearly two weeks ago in
Ackerman Union.

La Cucina’s red neon sign has been lit every day since the
construction wall surrounding the area was taken down, although the
restaurant is still waiting for the final approval of a fire
inspector before it can open.

"It’s like they’re trying to entice us," said James Templeman, a
third-year biochemistry student and frequent Terrace Food Court
diner.

According to Terence Hsiao, Associated Students of UCLA business
development director, La Cucina will not open for at least another
week.

La Cucina officials, who have spent a lot of time working at
tables in the dining area adjacent to the restaurant during the
past two weeks, declined to comment on an opening date.

"They’re just tying up a few loose ends," Hsiao said.

In this case, the loose end is a ventilation issue.

"Commercial kitchens are required to have very specific systems
for the removal of smoke, heat and (vaporized) grease," said UCLA
Fire Marshal Gary Dunger. "(La Cucina) is attempting to use
existing fans and ducts, and it’s not doing the job."

If the system does not ventilate the area sufficiently, grease
can build up in the ducts, creating a fire hazard.

According to Hsiao, all of the restaurants in Ackerman are
connected to a common ventilation system.

The system, which was originally engineered to handle the
demands of the Treehouse kitchen, now has to handle the ventilation
needs of both Rubio’s Baja Grill, and La Cucina’s ranges and pizza
ovens.

According to Dunger, La Cucina could change filters, increase
the size of the ducts or change the fans in the system to fix the
problem. Each solution requires varying degrees of work.

La Cucina, which is run by Italian fast food vendor Sbarro, was
originally scheduled to open at the beginning of fall quarter –
concurrently with neighboring Rubio’s – but building code
compliance problems have caused multiple delays.

The original, and longest delay, lasting until the beginning of
winter quarter, was a result of problems with the restaurant’s
architectural plans.

According to ASUCLA officials, these problems were unforeseen
and could not be planned for.

"(When) La Cucina set a projected opening date, they had every
reason to believe they would make that date," Hsiao said.

"I’ve never encountered a construction project where there
weren’t last minute issues," said Patricia Eastman, executive
director for ASUCLA. "It’s just exacerbated (in this case) because
of their late start."

The students’ association has not been a stranger to delays
recently. In addition to La Cucina, ASUCLA has experienced delays
in its openings of Cafe Synapse in the Gonda (Goldschmeid)
Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, the Third Street
Promenade Spirit Store and renovation of Kerckhoff Hall.

"We’re always on schedule, the schedule just changes," joked
Eastman during the students’ association’s January board of
directors meeting.

According to Dunger, La Cucina submitted its plans several times
without addressing many of the fire marshal’s comments. The
protracted approval process halted construction of the restaurant
until late November.

La Cucina ran into further delays ordering special equipment and
getting the actual site up to code.

"We’re in the same situation as before," said Shahin Allameh,
area supervisor for Sbarro.

La Cucina’s delays have interfered with ASUCLA’s financial
plans. According to Richard Delia, ASUCLA’s finance director, La
Cucina was expected to contribute $45,000 in rent to the students’
association.

This loss has been minimized, however, because customers that
would have gone to La Cucina are going to other ASUCLA restaurants.
The Cooperage has been the greatest benefactor of the delay.

"We’re not out that money," Delia said. "We have a stable
population of 32,000. When we open a location, it may just spread
customers but not bump (the customer count)."

With this in mind, Delia estimates that the addition of La
Cucina would bring in only about $2,000 more revenue to ASUCLA each
month.

"The question isn’t when La Cucina will open, it’s their impact
on campus," said James Friedman, a graduate representative on
ASUCLA’s board of directors. "It will be nice for students because
there will be less congestion and more choices."

According to Hsiao, La Cucina has the strongest incentive to
open in a timely matter.

"Every day they’re not open costs them a significant amount of
money," Hsiao said.

In addition to lost revenue, La Cucina is responsible for all
construction costs, according to ASUCLA officials.

"They are committed to being here at UCLA," Hsiao said. "I have
no doubt it’s going to open. It’s just a matter of getting
there."NICOLE MILLER

La Cucina restaurant in Ackerman Union was to open in fall 1998,
but had several delays and is still not open.

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