“Brent & his team have worked with me and the staff in the Chick-fil-A Stores Design Group for many years. We have collaborated on design and evolution of numerous prototype building designed and specialty building concepts.
I have been impressed with the quality of their work and their attention to detail. BBI is known around the office as adding value to Chick-fil-A as a trusted partner and a knowledgeable professional organization. ”
At BBI, collaboration is key. Collaboration is at the forefront of every project at BBI. This begins with our own team and extends to the partnership we build with our clients. We collaborate every step of the way, listening and learning so that your project goals and organizational mission guide our thinking and our designs.
Our skilled professionals have:
• Designed and Managed National Building Programs for major corporations
• Designed numerous Restaurant Prototypes; our prototype documents have been used on over • 1000 construction projects across the United States
• Successfully completed several hundred ground up and renovation projects locally and nationally, including:
• Restaurants
• Retail
• Military Projects
• Historic renovations, including those on the National Register of Historic Places
• Master Planned large mixed commercial and residential developments
But we are most proud and humbled of the fact that over 80% of BBI’s projects are from repeat, satisfied clients.
Chick-Fil-A
BBI Architects worked with Chick-fil-A extensively for over a decade on the design of their prototypical restaurants. Our first hurdle was to learn from their senior executives and design staff where the company was taking the brand, to reflect those goals in our designs and to be innovative in anticipating their needs and goals. BBI created an environment where the customer physically interacts with the brand at every level.
BBI Architects managed ever-changing conditions ranging from future project locations, upcoming design changes, equipment changes, and site layouts. BBI was also responsible for the site adaptation of the prototypes to fit the various sites across the nation which varied in lot sizes, climate conditions, traffic patterns, and local codes or ordinances.
To provide the necessary oversight to the design and implementation of the prototype program, BBI was required to manage myriad consultants and vendors that contributed to the overall successful execution of the brand and maintaining the Chick-fil-A image. Protecting the brand and the customer experience was recognized as integral parts of the prototype program. BBI accomplished this by partnering with our client and comprehensively understanding their needs.
BBI is an industry leader for innovative ideas. We were instrumental in incorporating new technology by being the first quick serve restaurant to install self serve kiosks. BBI designed specialty electrical connector housings for kitchen equipment. BBI lead the entire quick serve industry by being the innovator of the double drive thru. This innovation alone increase sales by increasing traffic through the drive thru by approximately 20%.
Truett's Grill
Truett Cathey, Founder of Chick-Fil-A restaurants hired BBI Architects to design his signature restaurant which would bear his name.
With a transportation theme, Mr. Cathey wanted to explore how to incorporate a 1920's era trolley car within the building. We designed the space using his collection of antique vehicles to create the perfect mixture of his collection.
BBI elected to divide the overall building space of 5,000 square feet in half to accomplish the dual purpose design.
BBI was able to design the flow of the kitchen to serve both areas while maintaining efficient product flow and food safety.
IHOP
Shortly after Katrina’s storm winds quit blowing, BBI was commissioned to design one of the first new structures on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The new restaurant was to be based on IHOP’s prototypical building, but it was larger than the original structure. The new building had to fit within the footprint of the original building and on a site that management had stated was already too small for the parking needs of the original restaurant.
New building codes required the restaurant to be 15’ above the ground and the structure needed to provide full access to the public and for deliveries. Plus, it had to be designed as hurricane and storm surge resistant!
BBI began by simplifying the prototypical building so that it could be raised on a relatively simple foundation. The new layout had to maintain the same functional layout of the kitchen and service areas, while providing the same number of seats as the prototype. BBI was able to accomplish this by modifying a second floor layout and carefully shifting the building masses. The building position was slightly altered on the site in order to add additional parking
We then added a wrap-around exterior deck, thereby increasing the seat count and providing connection points for new exterior stairs and ramps. An interior elevator/stair tower (with breakaway walls) was also added for the convenience of the public.
Dairio’s Restaurant
BBI has been working with Dairi-O’s restaurants in North Carolina to help them re-imagine the possibilities for growth, efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction, what we call 'Profitability by Design'. We worked with the owner on branding, imaging, order expediting, customer experience, and site design.
Dairi-O’s became a cultural icon after serving local residents for several generations. The old structure had to be removed and the owner wanted to expand the brand, therefore a major challenge was undertaken to take the beloved old restaurant design and reinterpret it in a modern version of a quick-serve restaurant concept.
BBI consulted with the restaurateur on various aspects necessary to expand the brand. We created a design that is warm, welcoming, eye catching, fun and provided the tools for Dairi-O to efficiently server more customers in a timely manner than it ever has before. We were directly responsible for people, product, and production flow including kitchen design, dining room layout, and well planned site circulation that included BBI’s patented double drive through design.