SSA specializes in food and beverage service design and is known for their Bespoke design solutions. Schwartz has been selected as one of the top 12 design consultants in the world and the SSA team has grown from a single office to multiple locations in the US and Europe. SSA project engagements range from small boutique coffee establishments to $2.6 billion resorts.

Ken Schwartz, FCSI consultant helped to design the concept's seafood boiling stations and all the custom kitchen equipment.

“After we did the addition to the Columbia in Ybor City, we realized [that] not only were people beginning to enjoy our style of service and really our expertise, but that there was a much greater opportunity out there outside the Tampa Bay area,” he said.

“SSA is creative in terms of concepts and creative in terms of using space,” notes Kit Pappas, V.P., Hotel Management, Tavistock Development Co. “Not everyone has that combination of creative and technical ability. We’re building three hotels from the ground up, and they have been very collaborative. They listen to our ideas and evolve as we evolve. They don’t try to fit us into their concept. I can’t say enough good things about them. They are extremely talented but also very likeable.”

President & CEO SSA Foodservice Design + Consulting Ken Schwartz has been selected as one of the top 12 design consultants in the world and the SSA team has grown from a single office to multiple locations in the US and Europe.

Tampa, Florida-based Ken Schwartz FCSI of SSA– a hugely experienced restaurant designer and consultant who has worked with a number of the world’s top chefs and designed multiple restaurants that have won awards and set standards for many years.

Ken, who has been tightly connected with the foodservice industry for essentially all his life, has run his global hospitality design company and consulting firm for over 30 years, partnering with some of the top names in the industry.

“Innovation is essential for creating solutions to overcome new or existing challenges. It is vital in the development of efficiency at all levels, which impact the operators’ bottom line as well as the guest experience,” Schwartz says. “These awards and the recognition they provide are a catalyst to entice people to be creative and to think outside of the norm. Startups typically take on a new approach.”

In Episode Nine of ON TAP, we hear from long-time FCSI member Ken Schwartz. He is the President at SSA Foodservice Design and Consulting in sunny Tampa, Florida. Ken leads a diverse team that handles projects all over the globe.

"Operators need to ensure they have a relative yet reliable business plan," Schwartz said.

SSA is a solutions-driven firm and as a way for them to reinvest back into the industry they are making their team of experts available to foodservice operators, free of charge.

SSA Inc. is a global commercial food service design firm, working on projects from boutique restaurants to destination hotels and airport venues.