Industry Voices

— By Steve Peldiak — Communal air solutions in retail and restaurant locations.   Sanitation conversations around indoor air quality (IAQ) at restaurants and retail locations will be critical to their longevity and bottom lines. 2021 has seen the arrival of a vaccine, however many customers may remain hesitant to dine or shop inside even with continued mask mandates. Indoor air quality improvements completed and communicated to both employees and patrons will put many at ease as the path to public-wide vaccination is paved and businesses begin to fully reopen. …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Trip Jobe — How physically maintaining your brand/facility will pay off in 2021.   Over the past 30 years, I’ve witnessed and faced the budget pressures most of us have all experienced in 2020. Two areas, that I know well, are usually the first places companies cut back: marketing and maintenance. “Push off today what can wait until tomorrow” is usually the refrain from senior management. “Don’t do anything that will impact safety or sales, but please hold the line.” After 9 months of this approach, your valuable …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Conner McGill — Why retailers and restaurants are investing in EV charging stations.   If electric vehicle (EV) charging has sparked your interest recently, you’re not alone. Retailers and restaurants across the country are giving more consideration to EV charging stations for good reason. We are living in an increasingly electric environment. In fact, the Electric Power Research Institute projects that 35 million EVs will be sold in the U.S. by 2030. As more drivers buy EVs, the demand for places to charge them will follow. Smart retailers …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Sean Gillespie — Managing your refresh and reimage painting needs.   Over the past 13 months, one word has nearly dominated everything: COVID. As a result, many have had to make adjustments — some dramatic — to their painting programs. While those changes are expected (and perhaps inevitable) under the circumstances, the need to continue or jump-start multi-site painting programs is essential to keeping your facilities consistently branded, aesthetically pleasing, safe and functional. “Essential” may sound extreme, especially given the challenges of the past year, but we believe …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Jen Castro — How a commercial security door can protect your business.   You have invested a lot of time and money in your business and have developed its resources and reputation to be the best it can be. However, 2020 and the pandemic probably threw a wrench in your business plans. Storefronts are at risk of vandalism and trespassing now more than ever before, which is why business owners are searching for a flexible and resilient solution to maintain security and keep their inventory and/or store safe. …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Dan Smith — Investing in the right commercial-grade digital signage is as strategic as a brand’s messaging.   Would you like fries with that? Increasingly, thanks to digital signage, the answer is yes. At quick-service, fast-casual and other national restaurants, digital signage and menu boards are gaining adoption and believed to contribute to increased sales. So it’s important that restaurants adopt technology that protects and augments those gains. There’s plenty of opportunity out there. According to the QSR Drive-Thru Performance Study, about 20% of brands deployed digital menu …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Michael Krueger —   On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law The American Rescue Plan Act. The Act has $1.9 trillion in relief funds, including $28.6 billion set aside for the restaurant industry in the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The Fund lists the qualifications, priorities, method of calculating the amount the restaurant could receive, and the permitted use of funds. Qualifications The Fund is only for restaurants. The definition of “restaurants” means a restaurant, food stand, food truck, food cart, caterer, saloon, inn, tavern, bar, lounge, brewpub, …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— 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 …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Leslie Chapus — Outdoor dining became a staple during the pandemic — and guests have grown to love and expect it, no matter the weather. The good news is, investment in all-weather outdoor dining pays for itself.   After a full year of pandemic living, customer demand for safe dining environments has taken full root in the American psyche. As restaurants evolve to these changing demands, industry experts from Food & Wine Magazine to worldwide management consultants McKinsey & Company are advising restaurant owners to embrace outdoor dining …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Gary Glick — Top 3 lease provisions negotiated by landlords and tenants.   Almost a year into this pandemic, retailers are still facing uncertainty in light of the recent spike of COVID-19 cases accompanied by a new wave of lockdowns and regulations across the nation. Eager to protect themselves from ever-changing governmental restrictions and closures, retail tenants, whether traditional retailers, restaurants, fitness centers or theaters, are now requesting a variety of specific lease provisions in almost every newly negotiated retail lease. In addition, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail