Construction leaders in charge of getting retail properties ready to serve customers have to quickly master a lot of unique variables at speed—and listen carefully to how the client talks about the building’s purpose.
Proper planning, budget protection, and building to code while working well with other vendors is always critical. This overlay is more demanding if the business is going to serve food, offer health services (such as a dental practice with a retail-style front area), or involve a lot of equipment and automation.
Building to Franchise Brand Standards
Sophisticated franchises or corporate-run chains have to build on-brand, build fast, and build right. Architects and clients always have input, but merchandising and brand design experts will also have a lot of say in materials, placement, and look of the interior. Building to code, design intent, meeting proffers and the corporate template is critical to how these clients view a successful project—along with expected marks for quality and speed.
That’s what we were able to do for brands like Panera Bread, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Rita’s Italian Ice, Mellow Mushroom, and Jersey Mike’s Subs in the Metro DC area. Meeting project standards, brand standards, plus the health and safety requirements—like building for ventilation and minimizing chemical exposure for employees and guests—is a unique overlay that takes experience to master.
Executing the Plan When Things Don’t Go as Planned
Other key capabilities for a franchise building partner? Adaptability and creativity. Not every step conforms to the development template. No project goes exactly as planned, so holding to standards and budget while finding alternative solutions for the unexpected is critical for business goals.
If a certain specified composite surface is particularly challenging for a given area or location, we have to quickly decide whether we can solve it in collaboration with on-site teams or engage the client to pivot and execute alternatives—knowing that the client-side project lead has a boss somewhere who just wants the store open and looking great on time without their budget or timeline exploding. This is where technical expertise meets seasoned project management and good judgment.
When Retail Meets Healthcare: Dental Offices
From concept to permitting to execution, this is another retail construction niche that requires unique experience. The finished environment must be not only pleasant for staff and patients, but properly built for a wide variety of medical equipment. Building for functionality and patients’ comfort is paramount, even with an aggressive schedule where our teams work in close proximity to patients receiving care!
In just 10 months, we were able to coordinate with architects and engineers to help Lifetime Smiles plan and permit and start construction on a state-of-the-art dental office in Prince William County. These spaces must feel as inviting as a retail experience in the front; other parts must function like any healthcare facility. Which materials to use, how to ensure good lighting, meeting healthcare compliance codes—all while making the place comfortable for patients and staff—requires seasoned construction teams who know how to think through all the requirements.
Automated Car Washes: Usable and Smooth for the Customer While Accommodating Many Machines
Automated express models for retail car washes have become more sophisticated and grown rapidly—as has Station Auto Wash in the metro D.C. area for 20+ years. In December they broke ground on another location as part of an expansion, featuring an ultra-modern 150-foot wash tunnel with enhanced LED lighting, three pay stations, license plate readers and customized wash menus.
Their customer-facing systems live side by side with 18 chemical functions, a dual-belt conveyor system, and a 17-blower drying system that can process three cars per minute—not counting nearby self-service vacuum stations. The building has a lot expensive hardware to protect, a lot of electricity to deliver safely, and a lot of fluids and pressure to manage. Proper planning and accounting for all the variables means this new location will come online in July 2024.
Rigorous planning, permitting, industry-specific knowledge, and relationship management are all table stakes if your retail project is to be delivered on time, on brand, and ready to deliver functionality and service to both your team and your customers. And in the end, that’s what it’s all about: Learning carefully what is important to a client and building to that vision and function.
Let’s Think Through This Together
Is your team planning a retail build in a specialized industry? Reach out for a chat about your goals, requirements, and vision.