Canton, Mass. — In 2018, Dunkin’s first Next Generation restaurant opened in Quincy, Mass., featuring a new design with a modern atmosphere and innovative features. Now, just 3 years later, Dunkin’ is opening its 1,000th Next Gen restaurant in Woodstock, Ga. On March 26, it hosted a small grand opening ceremony outside the new restaurant to mark the milestone. The openness, colors and materials used in the new design help create an approachable, positive and energetic environment. A front-facing bakery case is one example of the eye-catching design elements that …
construction and design
Rockville, Md. — Silver Diner plans to open its first Silver Diner restaurant in Washington, D.C., in 2022. The 8,000-square-foot, two-story space is located next to Nationals Park. This new two-story concept will feature an updated Silver Diner restaurant on the first floor and a bar, Bar Silver, on the second floor. The 300-seat layout includes an outdoor terrace overlooking Nationals Park. Bar Silver will provide drinks and small plates while downstairs will offer dining with a menu featuring the most popular items served at Silver Diner restaurants. “This location …
Just in time for its 50th anniversary, Schlotzsky’s rolls out two new prototypes with plans to build on lessons learned during COVID-19. — By Katie Lee — At Schlotzsky’s, the drive-thru has always been a driving force of its business. Eighty-five percent of its 339 locations already had a drive-thru — often with double lanes — and this positioned the sandwich chain well when COVID-19 changed the world in early 2020. Schlotzsky’s already understood customers’ evolving needs — and the pandemic accelerated that evolution. Several years prior to the …
Chesterfield, Mo. — NewGround, a St. Louis-based innovative architecture, design and project management firm, has promoted Eric Preuss to director of construction. In his new position, Preuss will be relocating to Hawaii to manage headquarters projects for HFS Federal Credit Union and Maui County Federal Credit Union. The move will allow Preuss to provide local leadership in the Hawaii market, and expand opportunities in NewGround’s commitment to drive new design and build business within the Hawaiian Islands. NewGround has a Honolulu regional office and utilizes on-island staff to manage each …
Irving, Texas — Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, a Texas-based Baja-style restaurant group, has launched a new concept, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop Taqueria. The Taqueria encompasses everything fans have come to love about the brand with the same recipes, but will offer a slightly reduced menu in a smaller, to-go focused footprint. Fuzzy’s Taqueria will open its first location in Minneapolis, a new market for the brand which has nearly 150 franchise- and corporate-owned locations in 16 states (17, when Minnesota opens). Plans for the new footprint began prior to the pandemic, as …
— By Matt Calo, P.E. and Huston Dawson, P.E. — Safety should be top priority as businesses turn to outdoor space due to ongoing indoor restrictions. As spring arrives and states across the country continue to revise their restrictions on indoor gatherings, most urban centers have raised the occupancy allowance to 50% capacity for indoor dining and retail operations. The improving weather means that many establishments will expand the use of available outdoor space to enhance income potential and save their businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced commercial establishments …
Houston — Acclaimed Houston-based Underbelly Hospitality is growing its hometown footprint moments from where the city was first born and just steps from Buffalo Bayou Park. The restaurant group, led by James Beard Award-Winning Chef/Owner Chris Shepherd, has signed a lease for a 5,000-square-foot standalone space with rooftop terrace at Regent Square, an urban infill development reimagining the Allen Parkway corridor. Focusing on live fire cooking, the global concept will serve as an anchor for GID Development Group’s much-anticipated Regent Square Phase 2 addition. Scheduled to debut in late 2021, …
Miami — FRONTIER Building, an experience-focused national general construction, construction management and design-build contractor, has completed the construction of the new Burlington in Doral, Fla., near Miami International Mall. The project is part of a redevelopment of a Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores that will also include a future Total Wine & More. FRONTIER demolished and redesigned the existing façade entry for the new Burlington, as well as managed the interior buildout of the more than 42,000-square-foot department store. FRONTIER also added 258 new parking spaces. “We’re …
Scottsdale, Ariz. — Born and Raised Hospitality, the restaurant group behind popular Phoenix restaurants Clever Koi, Across The Pond and Fellow Osteria, and architecture firm Aline Architecture Concepts have teamed up to design a new fast-casual ramen restaurant, Clever Ramen, opening this spring in Scottsdale, Ariz. Clever Ramen was created with the idea of using raw materials that encapsulate warmth and life to the space. The fast-casual restaurant will feature a menu of customized ramen noodle bowls, steamed bao buns and seasoned fries. The restaurant features a curved plywood ceiling …
Brookfield Properties Opens Retail, Dining Portion of Fifth + Broadway in Downtown Nashville
Nashville, Tenn. — Brookfield Properties has opened the retail and dining component at Fifth + Broadway, a 6-acre mixed-use project in downtown Nashville, Tenn. Brookfield and local developer Pat Emery partnered on the development, which formerly was the location of the Nashville Convention Center. General contractor Skanska broke ground on the project in April 2017, when San Diego-based OliverMcMillan was the lead developer before its acquisition by Brookfield in February 2018. Designed by Gresham Smith and Gensler, the newly opened portion of Fifth + Broadway features 200,000 square feet of …