Why You Should Invest in an Architect to Transform Your Storefront
Have you ever walked into a store only to leave knowing deep down that you won’t be coming back? Maybe you grew frustrated because you couldn’t find what you were looking for, and it took 20 minutes just for someone to help get your size. Or maybe it was something more subtle, like too much product displayed that overwhelmed your senses or poor lighting that suddenly made you feel tired and indecisive.
Whatever your reason, the result remains the same. Because you didn’t have a great customer experience, you’re most likely not coming back. In fact, you’ve probably switched to a competitor that offers better service by now.
Fortunately, you can avoid this kind of experience at your storefront by investing in thoughtful Main Street design and renovations. In addition to helping you create a positive, memorable, and hassle-free experience that drives customer loyalty, a trusted architect can also help you transform your vision into a reality, save you time and thousands of dollars down the road, and importantly, help you scale your business with intention.
5 Top Reasons You Should Invest in Intentional Mainstreet Design & Renovation
1. Ensure your space is optimized for your customer’s needs
A well-designed, functional, and on-brand space is one of the most important ways you can enhance the overall experience for your customers – making them more likely to stay in your store longer, come back, and spread the good word about your business.
In addition to improving the overall experience for your customer, investing in intentional Main Street design and renovations is critical for ensuring safety, improving efficiency, and reinforcing your brand’s mission and unique selling point. From incorporating your brand colors and imagery to show off what you sell from the outside, to creating an intentional flow and stimulating all five senses from the inside, even the smallest decision can make a big difference.
For example, if you’re considering opening a second location for your restaurant like Hungry Hippie Tacos, we would first establish the project priorities, like more seating, walkability and having the kitchen of their dreams. Then we would create a space program and discuss potential code requirements for the functions of the business. All this can be discovered while the project is still a concept.
However, if you’re looking to enhance the customer experience of your existing business, we can explore the visibility of your storefront and identify opportunities for optimizing the interior experience.
2. Transform your vision into a reality
Whether you’re renovating, expanding, or building your dream storefront from the ground up, most projects typically start with a need or want. But how do you translate your need or want into a three-dimensional space that engages your ideal customers or clients? It all comes down to reimagining what’s possible and creatively solving problems through design and renovation — the kind of alternatives you may never think of on your own.
For example, if you need more room for your growing flower shop or brewery, partnering with an architect can help you reimagine your existing space or find another building better suited for your changing needs and wants. Or, if you want sustainability to play a bigger role in your business, an architect can help you look for materials or systems to make your space more resilient to environmental changes — transforming your vision into a reality along the way.
3. Make your life (and the construction process) infinitely easier
Nowadays, there are building codes, fire codes, accessibility codes, energy codes, and zoning codes, just to name a few, that must be followed before you can legally open the doors to your shop.
If that’s not enough, there’s also a team of consultants to coordinate, bids to solicit, reviews with the City, and endless moving parts to take into consideration before renovation even begins.
Fortunately, your architect has the knowledge and experience to help you seamlessly navigate everything from start to finish — including overseeing design execution, problem solving details on-site, and coordinating with key players to ensure your projects stays on track.
4. Save time and money down the road
The last thing you want to run into is expensive energy bills or a costly tear-out that could have been avoided with better planning.
With the help of a well-thought-out plan and a robust team on your side, you can save countless hours, thousands of dollars, and endless headaches down the road. After all, it’s much cheaper to rebuild something on paper (or, nowadays, in the cloud) than to address issues when the construction phase is already underway or complete.
5. Keep your business flourishing
As your company evolves, the needs and wants of your customers will inevitably shift. Whether you wish to attract a new customer base, re-engage an existing one, or both, relying on the knowledge and experience of an architect you can trust can help ensure your business continues to grow and scale.
So, whether you’ve already got a lease locked in for your new candle store, thinking about opening a second location for your coffee shop, or just starting to look around for what could be a collaborative coworking space with a studio loft someday, don’t hesitate to schedule a complimentary discovery session with us today!
From the moment we get on a call, we’ll listen to understand everything from your brand’s mission, vision, and story to your business goals so we can help you transform your big lofty ideas into a reality that pays for itself year after year.