In the fast-paced, quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, speed is critically important during construction. Owners want to open their doors for business as soon as possible. Working with Adform Interiors, owners Tucker Bartone and Aaron Larwie completed construction on three Playa BowlsTM stores in just eight weeks!

Two stores were fit-outs in new buildings. Both sites were built to plan: Run all electrical, complete in-ground plumbing and pour the slab, new HVAC supply & return, new walls and doors, floor and wall tile, ceiling grid, counters, cabinets, fire sprinklers, and more. The complexities of a usual construction project were magnified by the aggressive timeline and multiple locations.

A third site was an existing retail store, which required additional time to demo the interior, before construction could begin. This was complicated further by the fact that there was no space for a dumpster. Each day, a trailer hauled debris away little by little. On top of that, while cutting concrete for new plumbing, it was discovered that the sanitary plumbing lines were not pitched correctly and had to be replaced.

Given all this…coordinating multiple trades on three different sites, an ambitious timeline, and unexpected challenges, the timeline didn’t slip. How were the Playa Bowls owners and Adform Interiors able to keep the timeline on these projects?

Get on The Same Page

“We did a lot of planning and preparation upfront,” says franchisee Tucker Bartone.
“Everyone involved in the project was on the same page before anyone picked up a
hammer.” Good preparation ensures everyone knows what’s expected of them. It also
leverages the experience of different subs and gets input up-front on the project. “A
little bit of extra time spent reviewing plans helped us avoid potential issues and saved a
lot of time.”

Communicate Openly and Often

Similarly, once construction started, everyone involved in the project communicated
constantly. Adform included everyone from MEP to carpentry and flooring to finishing
subcontractors every step of the way. “Construction projects are often reactive and chaotic,”
notes Aaron Lawrie, franchise owner. “Open communication leverages
everyone’s collective experience and allows the entire team to quickly adapt to
challenges as they arise.”

Everyone is On-Site

It’s important to assemble a team that has strong field experience and will be directly
involved in the project. Often, construction companies will specialize in roles. The
problem is that the people doing the planning, estimating, and project management
(PM) aren’t doing the actual work. “If someone knows they’re going to run a job, they’ll
be more careful with planning and estimating,” adds Lawrie. “If a PM is on-site during
the project, it is a lot easier for others on the team to work with them.”

Ultimately, investing time to plan and coordinate the three Playa Bowls construction projects effectively saved time and money. Teams were empowered to anticipate challenges and respond swiftly, ensuring that projects stay on schedule and the owners’ vision was fulfilled.