New venue for restaurant as expansion hits Target
FROM starting out with one venue, a Sri Lankan restaurant has opened its fifth restaurant in three years.
The Coconut Tree opened its first bar and kitchen in Cheltenham in 2016 and has expanded to Oxford, Bristol and now a new venue in Cardiff, all of which have been installed with a state-of-theart kitchen designed by Target.
The family-run Gloucester firm has been providing bespoke catering equipment for more 30 years.
And it has installed a range of modular equipment including wok induction hobs, ovens and grills throughout each restaurant, helping the chefs to serve up the authenticity of its renowned Sri Lankan tapas-style dishes.
Coconut Tree operations director Rodrigo Rashinthe said: “Our restaurants were getting busier and busier so we needed equipment that could cope with the growing demands of the business.
“The Target team offered a friendly, knowledgeable service and we couldn’t rate them highly enough for their exceptional induction equipment.”
After their initial opening, it became clear the outdated gas-powered kitchen needed upgrading to keep up with demands and make a safer, more comfortable working environment.
Having been recommended to the team by a friend, Target recommended they should consider switching to induction cooking technology due to its benefits within a small kitchen space and minimal extraction requirements.
Following trials of the equipment at Target’s demonstration kitchen, The Coconut Tree engaged the company to upgrade the entire kitchen, installing the latest energy-saving induction wok technology along with bespoke fabricated items, specifically designed and manufactured to meet the restaurant’s
unique requirements and ensure customers would be treated to only the very best Asian cuisine.
Mr Rashinthe said: “The equipment has allowed us to provide a better quality of service to our customers and our chefs are finding the innovative catering equipment technology a lot easier and safer to use.”
Target is widely known for its commercial induction ranges, which have been recognised as highly sustainable products by industry body CESA/FCSI and the Carbon Trust.
The company also specialises in designing sustainable commercial kitchens including kitchen ventilation systems, assisting customers with overcoming difficult kitchen ventilation and layout issues.
Managing director David Pedrette said: “We’re delighted Rodrigo and all the team at The Coconut Tree are enjoying our equipment as much as their customers enjoy their tasty Sri Lankan dishes!
“We hope they continue to enjoy the many benefits of sustainable induction equipment in the many years of successful business to come.”