Owner: Iowa State University (Dining Services)
Architectural and Engineering Design Services: BBS Architects | Engineers
Food Service Consultant: Bakergroup Food Service Consulting & Design
General Contractor: ASI Commercial Construction, Inc.
Construction Completed: January 2018
Project Data: 650 GSF
Construction Cost: $352,750
Photo Credit: Tim Bungert, BBS Architects | Engineers
Client Need:
The first level of the Memorial Union includes a food court that houses several ISU Dining venues and tenant vendors. An existing Subway sandwich shop was at the end of its lease and ISU Dining was seeking to create a new ISU branded custom sandwich shop in its place. The food court and the sandwich shop are heavily used, so the design and construction schedule were compressed to minimize the time that the space would be closed for construction.
BBS Approach:
BBS worked closely with representatives from ISU Dining Services and Facilities Planning and coordinated closely with our food service consultant to create Lance and Ellie’s sandwich shop within the existing space. With only 650 square feet to work with, our team was challenged to understand every aspect of the operation in order to provide the highest level of space efficiency. The existing space held numerous challenges, not the least of which included an L-shaped floor plan, limited floor-to-floor height and available MEP services. BBS and our food service consultant responded with layouts allowing for efficient food preparation and a focus on the customer experience. Finishes, specialty lighting, and signage were selected to present the image desired by the client. On-site verification during our design process, and the careful vetting of critical details allowed BBS and our consultant to provide closely coordinated and detailed design documents that kept the project in budget and completed on an aggressive schedule.
Solution:
Lance and Ellie’s features a primary sandwich serving/preparation line and a secondary line for grab and go order preparation at the front of the space. These areas carry a high level of finish, successfully creating the client’s desired image for the restaurant. There is additional preparation and storage space in the back of the space with more utilitarian finishes. New coiling doors at the front counter were included as part of this project. Existing plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and telecommunications services were updated and extended to support the new space and equipment. Installation of these new MEP services impacted areas outside the renovated areas. Our design drawings clearly delineated these areas to limit unnecessary disruption to those areas during construction.