When Covid hit, Michael Dykalski decided to get his MBA. After twenty years in the old field, he obtained his MBA at Rice University; “Rice sparked the entrepreneur in me and when I graduated I started to look at various small business and franchise options. There were several things about the Archadeck brand that interested me,” Michael recalls, “Creditable brand recognition, and lots of support from my engineering background and design perspective.”
Michael thrives on creating a solution to meet the needs of his clients and enjoys seeing the smiles on their faces. “I can now bring their dreams to reality. I am no longer putting people to sleep with the physics of how the decanter works to save the company money,” Michael says, reflecting on his work in the oil field. “Now I’m helping my clients get as much of their dream for their budget as possible.”
Like any home improvement, the price is dictated by three factors: Site condition, including location of gas lines, sewer, water, and power. Secondly, the size or square footage of the kitchen. And third, the materials used. “Often the dreams and budget don’t align, but my past life helped me find a phased solution where they can get the functionality right away and add features to it in the future,” Michael says.
“With Archadeck I am still a subject-matter expert and I can leverage my engineering background. The difference is working with the clients and becoming excited about the project with them.” Michael enjoys grilling/cooking outside, and he always has. Even when living in Canada he grilled year-round. “Every Christmas I would grill salmon sometimes in -40F weather.” remarked Michael.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating the perfect outdoor kitchen. Working with Archadeck will take out the guesswork and they will take the time to learn what is important to curate the perfect outdoor space to meet your needs. “My favorite thing to design is an Outdoor Kitchen. I like to think about how I would use the space, how I am going to move around, and how to entertain guests as the grill is running,” Michael shares.
Components of an Outdoor Kitchen:
Incorporating built-in grills such as a Blackstone style flat top grill, or a green egg smoker into your outdoor kitchen is very popular.
Sealed granite countertops (among other material options) allows for easy cleaning and maintenance while being appealing to the eye and timeless.
Food Prep areas are so important; whether you’re entertaining a crowd or just at home with the family or a couple of friends, food prep areas keep you in the mix instead of shuffling back and forth into the house.
Fire-roasted, fresh-baked pizza straight from your built-in pizza oven.
Storage solutions are often overlooked, but so important. Looking past the popular brick and stone veneer, now what’s trending for its look and durability is Outdoor Rates Cabinets (HDPE or composite).
Although outdoor sinks are always nice to have, “An alternative option to consider, depending on budget and layout, is a well-thought-out food prep area with plenty of surface area near your grill–this can be more important than a sink,” Michael says.
Why Archadeck?
A major part of Michael’s decision to open an Archadeck is his kids, “I was on the road a lot for a week or two at a time. Now I am home every night, and I can pick my kids up at school," Michael says. “My six-year-old likes to draw with me at the kitchen table, while I am working on a few design sketches and he has his crayons working on his sketch. Although, for him, it’s usually a new monster of some kind."
Since 1980, Archadeck has been bringing outdoor projects to life. Having built over 135,000 structures, including decks, patios, screened porches, sunrooms, pergolas, fire features, outdoor kitchens, and more.