Hello. Kitchen, Restaurant + Bar Specialists was founded to meet the growing demand for foodservice professionals adept at generating beautiful, high efficiency designs along with thorough operations experience and food & beverage consulting.
Our Work
We specialize in the planning and design of commercial kitchens, restaurants, bars and foodservice facilities of all types. Our projects span all areas of foodservice and hospitality, from resorts, schools and hotels to restaurants, nightclubs and more.
Our Services
Kitchen, Restaurant + Bar Specialists offers comprehensive consulting from Schematic Design to 3-d models and Construction Administration. Our experience spans more than twenty years in foodservice operation, design and construction. For more information please get in touch.
Born and raised in suburban New Jersey, KRBS founder and principal owner Alec Bauer developed an affinity for herring at an early age. Over the years, a photographic food-memory combined with a predilection for unusual snacks translated into a passion for food, cooking and restaurants in their myriad forms.
His career began at age 14 as a busboy at a local Chinese-American restaurant, a position which comprised mixing hot mustard and setting out bowls of crisp fried won tons. A fascination with woks and BTUs was naturally instilled in the young man.
Later, engaged in undergraduate studies on Organic Agriculture and Fishery Science at Rutgers University, he began to realize that his future was indeed in food, or at least in the preparation thereof.
After cooking through college in mostly American grills and eateries, he received formal culinary training at Vermont’s renowned New England Culinary Institute. This led to apprenticeships in New York City at The (Mercer) Kitchen for Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten and Paris at Restaurant Maison Blanche with the 3-Michelin-Star Pourcel brothers. Subsequent positions at Relaix Gourmand and DiRona properties including The Ryland Inn and Auberge du Soleil were mixed with a return to Vermont, teaching Haute Cuisine to aspiring young chefs back at The New England Culinary Institute.
Having embarked on a journey into the heart of foodservice operations more than twenty years prior, KRBS was founded in 2010 as a company uniquely positioned to see kitchen design solutions from every angle.
In 2004, a growing desire to participate in restaurants and foodservice facilities at a more holistic level led to a 5 year relationship with internationally acclaimed foodservice consultant and designer Mark Stech-Novak of Restaurant Consultation & Design in Oakland, California. Growing into the role of Project Designer, Alec was intimately involved in the design and construction of dozens of domestic and foreign restaurants with award-winning chefs of every variety. These included Jean George Vongerichten, Charlie Palmer, Todd English, Michael Mina, David Myers, and many more.
Before founding KRBS, Alec further developed his skill set with a kitchen equipment contractor where he managed the installation and construction of commercial kitchens including high-end restaurants, corporate cafeterias, schools, universities and more.
Clients
As designer, consultant, sub-contractor or construction manager, KRBS' clients and associates have included award winning chefs, iconic corporate entities and institutional operations.
We have been fortunate to collaborate with many Architects, Lighting Designers, Branding Consultants, Contractors and Tradespeople of all varieties. Foodservice outlets are rarely the work of one company, and the greatest projects are those born from the synergy of a team of professionals working together. Please get in touch if you would like to know more about any of our projects listed below.

- Spring Restaurant – Los Angeles, CA
- Palacio Gourmet Food Hall – Polanco, Mexico City
- Moku with Peter Merman – Honolulu, HI
- Guenter Seeger Restaurant – NY, NY
- Del Popolo Pizza – SF, CA
- Waterworks Food + Drink – Winooski, VT
- Cafe du Nord Complex with Ne Timeas Restaurant Group – SF, CA
- COMAL Restaurant – Berkeley, CA
- The Advocate – Berkeley, CA
- Guild and Company Steakhouse – So.Burlington, VT
- Hotel Vermont – Burlington, VT
- White Bread BarBQ – SF, CA
- Local Mission Market – SF, CA
- Canouan Island Resort + Hotel – Canouan, St.Vincent
- Belcampo Meat Company, Commissary Kitchen – Gazelle, CA
- Belcampo Meat Company Cafe – Various locations
- El Huarache Loco – Marin Country Mart, Larkspur, CA
- State Bird Provisions – SF, CA
- Prather Ranch Meat Co., American Eatery – Ferry Plaza, SF, CA
- Flour + Water – SF, CA
- Central Kitchen – SF, CA
- Trick Dog – SF, CA
- Locanda – SF, CA
- Cotogna – SF, CA
- Hog + Rocks Restaurant – SF, CA
- Bar Agricole – SF, CA
- Prospect Restaurant – SF, CA
- Quince Restaurant – SF, CA
- The State Theatre – Portland, ME
- Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Multiple Projects – SF, CA
- Midi Restaurant – SF, CA
- Shorebreak Hotel – Huntington Beach, CA
- 888 Brannan with Absinthe Restaurant Group – SF, CA
- 801 Brannan with La Cocina – SF, CA
- Ginto Izakaya Japonaise – SF, CA
- Symantec – Mountain View, CA
- Grand Wailea Resort – Wailea, HI
- Joseph Phelps Vineyard Tasting Room Kitchen – St.Helena, CA
- Silver Oak Wines – Sonoma, CA
- Ridge Winery Montebello – Cupertino, CA
- Westwood Family Cellars – Folsom, CA
- Maple Block Meat Co. – Culver City, CA
- Butch & Babe’s, Burlington, VT
- Kachina Restaurant and Z-Block Hotel – Denver, CO
- Marion P. Thomas Charter High Culinary School – Newark, NJ
- Galleria Park Hotel – SF, CA
- Bocanova Restaurant – Oakland, CA
- O Izakaya, Miyako Hotel – SF, CA
- Americano Restaurant, Hotel Vitale – SF, CA
- Summer Kitchen Bakeshop – Berkeley, CA
- Gather Restaurant – Berkeley, CA
- Todd English’s Olives – Biloxi, MS
- Gary Danko – SF, CA
- Aureole – NY, NY
- Charlie Palmer at South Coast Plaza – Costa Mesa, CA
- Comme Ca – Los Angeles, CA
- Boule Bakery + Patisserie – Los Angeles, CA
- Central Coast Restaurant and Club – Fort Atkins, WI
- Soho House – Miami, FL
- Four Seasons – Westlake, CA
- Staglin Family Winery – Rutherford, CA
- Ubuntu Restaurant – Napa, CA
- COI Restaurant – SF, CA
- Contigo Restaurant – SF, CA
- Sacramento Unified School District – Sacramento, CA
- San Mateo Unified High School District – San Mateo, CA
- Apple Computers – Cupertino, CA
- Ericsson – San Jose, CA
- Private Residences – VT, CA, WA, NY, NJ