restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.
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Faires has since moved to New York City, but at this point it doesn't matter as much, says Smart, since they understand each other and ongoing design work is mostly about fne tuning. But he does need to know they can get hold of each other quickly, he says, as sometimes decisions need to be made on the fy. The actual design process for the frst Slim Chickens location that Faires worked on — the ninth in the chain — took three months. "Then, over a year we discussed everything from booths to fooring to lighting fxtures to yield the design you see now," Smart says. Of the designers who didn't get the nod to take on the Slim Chickens project, Smart says they had more of an "agency" feel. "With Dan, I knew he'd be the one point of contact and the one doing the work. I needed someone who had experience, who I could speak to on a daily basis, and not be bashful about the questions I asked," Smart says. M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • R E S T A U R A N T D E V E L O P M E N T + D E S I G N • 5 7 Cinnabon HQ: Atlanta 1,200 stores worldwide, 704 domestic It can be tricky fnding designers for Cinnabon units because often they fnd it diffcult to understand what the company needs, says director of development Katria Montepare. "It's hard for them to understand that you have to create the experience just from walking up to a counter," she says. "We need them to really embrace the confnement of smaller spaces and the dynamic of the em- ployee and guest interaction." To fnd good designers, Montepare does online research and reads industry magazines. She also uses information gathered at conventions and confer- ences, where she often meets design companies. And she talks to others within the restaurant industry as well as at sister brands within Cinnabon's par- ent company, FOCUS Brands. For smaller projects she tends to work with design frms that Cinnabon has worked with in the past because they understand the brand. "If we're re- branding or going in a whole new direc- tion, however, that's when we research new companies because we're looking for fresh eyes on our design," she notes. In 2012 Montepare hired Cynthia Sours of INOX Design for a new Cinna- bon fagship in Atlanta. She deliberate- ly chose a nearby company because, she says, being able to meet in person helps each team — the restaurant's and the designer's — understand expectations and limitations. "It's easy to take things the wrong way over the phone or via email," she says. During the hiring process for the Atlanta fagship, Montepare showed Sours photos of existing stores and "then some pictures of what we were going for — a bit more café, more simple graphics, more boutique — so they had an idea of what we wanted the look and feel to be. I didn't want to give them really specifc rules so they had room to be creative." After that, Sours presented three designs for the new fagship, which the Cinnabon team then narrowed down and refned. For a big project, Montepare likes to have at least two, preferably three, designers in the running so she can compare their past projects, their design style, their communication skills and thought processes to determine which will best meet Cinnabon's needs. However, one of the most important things when looking to hire a designer, for Montepare, is fnding one who understands the dynamics of brands similar to Cinnabon, by which she means walk-up counter foodservice experiences in malls. Budget is also a critical factor. She makes sure to discuss it early in the hir- ing process so no one's time is wasted. "We have that talk right after the initial interview, when I brief them on the project," she says. As for what really makes the differ- ence with designers, Montepare says it's when they throw in a little extra some- thing, such as a display cabinet when it wasn't expressly asked for. "If they've taken that extra step, given that extra wow, it shows they've been listening to what we've been talking about." + Cinnabon hired INOX Design to help develop a new fagship location in Atlanta. While the chain wanted a design that was more café-like with simple graphics, it did not provide specifc rules, which allowed the designers to be more creative. + rd+d Web Extra: For "7 Designer Tips on Hiring Designers" visit rddmag.com.