Building Design Construction

hospitality facilities
BUILDING TRENDS ANALYSIS
BY JOHN CAULFIELD, SENIOR EDITOR
Multiunit operators
like Wood Ranch BBQ
& Grill (pictured) must
balance their brand
image with customers’
expectations for
something new.
COURTESY STUDIO MCCORMACK
SushiSamba’s 14,000-sf
restaurant in Las Vegas is
distinguished by a colorful,
arching interior design.
iCrave was the architect, PWI
Construction the GC.
LAST YEAR, for the fi rst time,
Americans spent more on
dining out than on groceries.
Through March
of this year, sales at restaurants
and bars totaled $157.5
billion, compared to $151.8
billion at grocery stores, according
to the U.S. Commerce Department.
This shift in spending has taken on enormous
signifi cance for the U.S. design and
construction industry. “Food has become a
major solution for saving brick-and-mortar
retail,” stated CallisonRTKL, in its recent
“Mall of the Future” white paper (http://bit.
ly/1Sc6owH).
Lifestyle centers were the fi rst retail
development model to emphasize dining as
a magnet for shoppers. And as the “foodie”
generation seeks out new culinary experiences,
restaurants are pivotal to the success
of the 445 lifestyle centers that, according to
FACTORS
GUIDING
RESTAURANT
5DESIGN
1. Developers are encouraging
restaurants to make bold
statements that will also attract
shoppers to retail stores.
2. Chefs and owners are taking
the lead in design.
3. A more “democratic” market
should not mean a downgrade
in quality.
4. Technology is elevating the
dining experience.
5. Artwork can enhance the
element of surprise.
www.BDCuniversity.com BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION MAY 2016 61