Existing conditions versus new permitting requirements – Many times it is easy to assume that a facility can stay just as it is when redeveloped. When remodels are permitted permit officials can (and often do)require the entire facility be brought up to current development requirements. This can include changes required to meet handicap access (ADA), landscape ordinances (including trees), signage restrictions, and new color and finish requirements.

Electrical – many times older electrical service cannot provide the number of circuits required for new facilities. New electrical panels and even a new service line may be required.

Heating and Air – Most commercial HVAC units have a service life of 15 years. Be sure you try and contact the mechanical company that has provided service to the units. Often times they can tell you about the service history and reliablility of the units.

Plumbing – Adjustments and changes can be costly. Be careful of new requirements that may include changes for ADA requirements, grease traps, etc.

Be sure you contract with a commercial architect to do a site visit with field measurements and pictures. Even if the landlord supplies original construction drawings often times building dimensions will vary and the facility may have other undocumented changes. Although some elements and details of the construction may not be visible this step can save many hours in design and construction.

Also be careful with bidding remodels. Many owners want to do a fixed price project but these can almost impossible. No matter how much information you have on the design side, issues will arise as construction starts and demo work reveals conditions not previously known. You may want to consider a budget estimate with the project being cost plus. This way value add changes can save money on the overall project costs.

1. Added Storage Capacity – MRP has added an additional storage area on each side of the new design. The water heater and remote C02 tank have also been relocated to rear storage increasing room in kitchen. We have also added a storage room just outside restrooms for additional storage capacity.
2. Structural Engineering – MRP has redesigned the steel structure to reduce the amount of structural steel required further reducing cost of the building.
3. HVAC and Ventilation – MRP has worked with the hood manufacturer and HVAC unit manufacturer to develop a new state of the art mechanical design that eliminates make up air and reduces moisture in the restaurant. This creates a more comfortable dining area and kitchen.
4. Roofing Improvements – MRP has worked with Duro-Last, the manufacturer that supplies the roof material, to change roofing specifications to a thicker material (50 mil) and add further details to improve roofing installation and reduce roof leaks. Walk pads have also been added to improve durability of roof material. Additional details have been added to minimize potential for leaks.
5. Equipment Connections- MRP has collaborated with all three equipment suppliers to better detail equipment connections including electrical, mechanical and plumbing. This results in accurate construction installation of equipment rough-in and final connections which saves time and money with no change orders from the GC. MRP has also developed complete kitchen equipment drawings based on the standard equipment package as defined by Zaxby’s.
6. Seating Layout – MRP has also been working with the seating supplier to coordinate layout of all short walls in seating areas. We have also modified the design to include most current handicap requirements for restaurant seating.
7. Better Drawings – MRP has worked with several of the most experienced General Contractors having built hundreds of Zaxby’s stores. Based on discussions with the contractors and modifications to many of the details previously used we have created a far superior building requiring less maintenance. We have incorporated many new energy efficient standards and added features such as wall pass through drains for operational ease in clean-up.

Some examples of these improvements:

1. A licensee in Columbus Georgia opened a new Zaxby’s with the MRP design and is experiencing utility cost savings of $700 per month over stores built by the previous design just a few years ago.
2. A licensee in Lilington, North Carlolina stated her construction bids were over $100,000 less on her new MRP design versus a previous design Zaxby’s built less than three years ago.
3. A licensee in Saint Augustine, Florida has been operating an MRP designed Zaxby’s for over a year and he says the kitchen is far more comfortable than several other Zaxby’s he operates built by the previous design. He also said his utility costs are equal to or less than his older stores.

If you have any questions regarding MRP Design Group contact Ken Dalton at 770-917-9172 ext.104.

With 2009 gone and 2010 just getting started many owners and companies in the commercial industry are concerned with the economy. Foodservice and other groups have slowed if not halted new construction. But consider that this may be the very best time to start a new facility construction! We’ve seen bid prices drop dramatically over the past 18 months.

One of our clients stated they were averaging around $800,000 for a new ground up facility, they now are paying around $600,000. Financing is tougher to find but with diligence you can develop new facilities at prices not seen in 20 years. General Contractors are bidding projects at or possibly below cost to cover staff without work. Keep in mind that those who are bold in times like these will turn adversity to advantage

The previous Arrowhead Travelcenter which was originally built in the 1970′s was much too small to provide for the growth the retail facility has seen in recent years. Additional property was also purchased to provide parking for over 200 trucks and an auto parking area with room for large RV traffic.

Coverage of the Arrowhead Travelcenter and MRP Design Group will be in both the September and October issues of Convenience Store News.

MRP Design Group has now won this award for two years straight, with an award in 2008 for the Madison Travelcenter built in Madison Florida. We are proud of our contributions to the travelcenter industry. Please contact us today so we can discuss how we can put our 20 years of experience to work for your next site.

Especially if your store is older/smaller, consider an interior remodel. Your investment is far less than opening or building a new store. When you think layout, think in terms of the newer stores. If you haven’t recently, visit a new QuikTrip, Racetrac, Wawa, or other big regional chain store – shop for ideas. Look at winners in the Convenience Store News Design Contest and explore design ideas on the internet.

Once you have a general idea of where you want to go, talk to an expert. Good Design is Priceless, bad design can cost a fortune. Talk with an architect or designer that specializes in Convenience Stores. Even if you don’t engage their services, the ideas you get will be valuable. You may find that the benefits they bring to the table outweigh the investment in their time.

Recognize that adding design features and reworking your whole convenience store floorplan requires an investment of time, energy and dollars, but the return on that investment is both immediate and long lasting. With proper planning on the front end of the process however – the total investment can be reduced and the return can be increased.

An example is a major rent to own retail concept that has used metal buildings for their retail stores for several years.

MRP developed a set of prototype building drawings that create an 80’x100’ building and a 100’x100’ building. Coordination with the metal building manufacture optimized the layouts with the needs of the facility to blend with the characteristics of metal building construction.

Details, that allow the exterior face of the building to resemble a conventional construction retail storefront, were worked through. MRP has worked many of these projects through local permitting requirements and made required modifications to allow permit approval.

The current rate of development with these metal buildings have allowed seventy stores per year construction rate with expectations to increase to one hundred and fifty retail sites per year.

In 2007 the Tribe performed a search of architectural firms to design a completely new facility to be built on adjacent property to the old one. MRP Design Group was selected and began design work on a 19,600 square foot facility to contain a large travel store, trucker amenities, auto and truck fueling, and a full size McDonalds restaurant. The amenities include large restrooms, a phone room, TV lounge, laundry, and eight shower rooms. The travel store was enhanced to include gift items, specialty clothing, and an extensive self serve area for travelers on the go.

In an effort to utilize local materials, stone was used on the exterior along with polished concrete floors with aggregate from the nearby area. The facility was planned and laid out to create an efficient facility that would serve both the over the road truck driver and the motoring public.

The site also has had an extensive area developed for additional truck parking to handle trucks as the winter weather sometimes closes the Interstate from the travel center exit over the local Blue Mountain area.

The Tribe held a prayer service on March 6,2009 to formally open their new facility with the spectacular view of the Blue mountain. Traffic has increased and sales have been growing ever since.

The concept involves a base construction of a metal building with conventional construction to create a hybrid facility that reduces construction between $20,000 to $50,000 per site. The completed facility is virtually identical to conventional construction when completed.

One example is a major rent to own retail concept that makes use of metal building construction to quickly and cost effectively develop retail stores. Prototypes have been designed with sizes including a 80′x100′ and 100′x100′. These buildings provide the lowest cost per square foot construction while having building elevations that feature conventional construction to give a pleasing appearance to customers.

Benefits have included drastically reducing the construction schedules to allow a current rate of construction that allows 70 ground up retail stores per year with an anticipated increase to 150 stores per year.

• Typical parking requirements for retail facilities is one parking space for every 200 square foot of building area. Typical parking spaces are around 9′ wide and 18′ deep. Parking aisles should have 24′ for two way access and room for proper backing out of spaces.
• Be sure to consider the tank farm location and how the tanker truck will access site for fuel drops. Tanker trucks usually drop fuel from the right side and clear path from entry drive should be planned. Always try to refrain from placing tanks near building or fueling canopies as future removal or service could be difficult.
• Provide handicap parking in the most convenient location to the entrance door.
• Auto fueling lanes should be a minimum of 24′ apart for two way traffic between islands. Allowing 36′ will allow two fueling spots for vehicles while allowing for a third vehicle to drive between. While skewing fueling islands will improve the front to rear layout depth of the layout it requires additional canopy area width.
• Be sure you know the landscaping requirements of your sites permit officials. Many sites are requiring dedicated areas for landscaping to include trees. The days of paving a site from property line to property line are long gone.
• Be sure you consider where you will be allowed curb cuts for access to the road way. Many corner sites have certain requirements to keep curb cuts from being too close to intersections due to traffic concerns. Many older sites that are being redeveloped find they are losing the number of drives as part of the permitting of new construction.
• Travel Centers require special attention to try and separate auto and large truck traffic. Dedicated drives and dedicated parking is preferred. Truck drives require additional width for proper maneuvering through site. If possible, consider a central tank farm area that is accessed via the truck drives. This will keep the tanker truck out of the auto areas and allow fuel drops at any time of the day instead of just off traffic times.