Brooklyn Park, Minn. — Taco Bell is building a restaurant with a new drive-thru concept in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. Construction is underway on the 3,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant. Completion is scheduled for summer 2022. Known as Defy, the new restaurant concept was developed in partnership with Minneapolis-based Vertical Works Inc., a design company that works with quick-serve restaurants, retailers and healthcare tenants. In 2020, Border Foods, one of the largest privately held Taco Bell franchisees in America, enlisted Vertical Works to create a new restaurant design. With Defy, …
construction and design
San Diego, Calif. — Jack in the Box Inc. has awarded 16 franchise development agreements year-to-date through the end of third quarter of fiscal year 2021 to build 64 new locations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Texas and Utah. The announcement follows the relaunch of Jack in the Box’s franchise development program earlier this year. “Relaunching the franchise opportunity has been exciting and was one of our main priorities going into 2021. Over the last year and a half, we’ve proven to be pandemic-resistant and we’re eager to grow with our …
Boston — Dunkin’ unveiled its most recent non-traditional openings and growth plans for the year. Thus far in 2021, the coffee company has expanded across Las Vegas at the Convention Center, LINQ Hotel and Arizona Charlie’s Boulder Casino, as well as reopened with the unveiling of the new Virgin Hotel. Additionally, the brand opened its 12th location with Great Wolf Resorts at the Manteca, Calif., park and further strengthened its presence in the healthcare setting with locations debuting at the Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville, Fla., and UMass Memorial Medical …
Plantation, Fla. — DHL Express, the world’s leading provider of international express shipping services, has expanded its network of U.S. retail locations by opening a new mobile pop-up store in Plantation, Fla. Based at DHL’s U.S. headquarters, the 2,200-cubic-feet mobile DHL ServicePoint offers a safe, easy-to-use shipping option for customers and employees in response to increased demand from the local community for international shipping. “Over the past year, we have installed several mobile pop-up stores across the U.S., and we have seen that customers prefer the speed and convenience of …
— By Andrea Lisbona — Best practices for long term PPE implementation in retail design. Prior to the pandemic, it would have been rare to consider PPE like hand sanitizer, plexiglass barriers and masks as critical elements in enhancing the customer experience in retail environments. Today, a standing hand sanitizer dispenser, for example, is the norm at a retail door; it is the first thing customers will see and use when they walk into a store, and continue to experience throughout their browsing and buying journey. It’s clear that …
— By Inna Tuler — How to navigate the maze of retail construction in today’s post-COVID environment. The popularity of online shopping has recently seen a marked expansion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in spite of growing e-commerce purchasing, brick-and-mortar retailers are far from obsolete. Retail sales at physical store locations in 2020 made up approximately 85% of all U.S. retail sales, but given the onslaught of online competition, brick-and-mortar retailers cannot lose sight of their physical store strategies. There are many reasons why a retailer location will …
Louisville, Ky. — Through 2022, KFC will accelerate development in more urban, metropolitan areas in an effort to serve a younger and more diverse customer. Traditionally a brand known for its suburban footprint, KFC will aggressively enter more densely populated areas, where the real estate doesn’t allow for a traditional drive-thru model, with its urban inline design. Following positive second quarter earnings results, KFC U.S. opened 19 new restaurant locations, resulting in a plus three net-new unit growth year-to-date for the first time since 2004. KFC will continue its aggressive …
Richfield, Wis. — Hy-Brid Lifts, an industry leader in high-quality, low-level access equipment, has introduced an online Parts Service Center and used equipment offering on the company’s website. The added online tools enhance the customer experience by making it easy to order parts 24/7 and provide access to high quality used equipment. “We are continuing to implement technology and services to make customers’ lives easier,” says Marshall Shaver, Hy-Brid Lifts’ vice president of sales and marketing. “This year has presented a whole array of new challenges and opportunities. We are …
Bettendorf, Iowa — Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream has partnered with global design consultant firm Harrison to utilize its award-winning strategic branding, interior design and architectural expertise to create a new image and brand design for the family-centric concept, in preparation for expansion. Through its strategic storytelling approach, Harrison is tasked to create a look and feel that connects Happy Joe’s nostalgic 49-year-long past with elements of today’s dining and “eatertainment” venues. With plans to expand across the U.S. and beyond, Harrison will also keep growth top-of-mind in order …
Streetsense Partners with Capital One to Design its First Airport Lounges with Elevated F&B Experience
Bethesda, Md. — Streetsense has formed a partnership with McLean, Va.-based Capital One Financial Corporation to develop the company’s food and beverage program for its first airport lounges. The Capital One Lounge will open its first location at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) later this year. Capital One selected Streetsense to develop the food and beverage vision and guest experience, including regionalized menus, grab-and-go programs, retail strategy and branding. “When designing the new Capital One Lounges, we talked to customers and industry experts to understand what works and what doesn’t …