Meet Matt Hample, Projects and Accounts Manager at Foundry Kitchens

Matt has spent the past 25 years in the commercial kitchen world, working at the intersection of restaurant equipment, custom stainless steel, and the real-world problem-solving it takes to get kitchens built properly. He joined Foundry more than a year ago and works in sales as a Projects and Accounts Manager.

In his role, Matt initiates and nurtures relationships with customers and project teams that need Foundry’s support for kitchen equipment and custom stainless steel, along with the coordination that keeps complex kitchen scopes from becoming scheduling headaches. He’s seen what happens when commercial kitchens are treated like “just another trade,” and he’s equally familiar with what it looks like when the kitchen is planned early and managed with clear accountability.

Below, Matt shares a few practical lessons from the field, plus a bit about how being 6’7″ affects the way he thinks about kitchen design, even at home.

You’ve been in restaurant equipment and custom stainless steel for 25 years. What’s one thing you wish every General Contractor understood about commercial kitchens before a project breaks ground?

“The kitchen part of a build isn’t an area many general contractors are familiar with. Even architects struggle with the commercial kitchen component, especially health codes, safety codes, and how certain equipment needs to function in the space.”

You’ve worked at companies that offered the same services as Foundry but felt siloed. What feels genuinely different about Foundry from day to day?

“The biggest difference is internal communication. There is alignment between all the divisions. Players speak with each other regularly, so we’re all aware of what’s happening and what each team is responsible for.”

What’s the most common “tiny detail” you see turning into a big site headache?

“A lot of issues come down to the installation sequence. There are parts of a commercial kitchen that have to go in before other things, or only after other things are installed. If the sequence isn’t understood, it skews schedules.”

You’re 6’7″. How did that change your kitchen at home, and what does it say about designing for the people using the kitchen?

“We redid our kitchen a few years ago, and the main prep island I use is three inches higher than the other counters. I can’t cook on a normal 34-inch or 36-inch counter height. My back won’t do it. It’s the same idea in commercial kitchens. You need to know who is using the equipment when you’re designing the kitchen.”

What’s your kitchen non-negotiable?

“Flow is the non-negotiable. For example, if the dish area and scullery don’t flow properly, it affects the whole operation. Over the course of a year, you can see profits and table turns reduced because you can’t clear tables efficiently and keep clean dishes moving. It seems trivial, but it can really mess up your kitchen and your profitability.”