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Freestanding and pad-site restaurant construction in Dallas–Fort Worth
Harrison Construction’s ground-up division builds freestanding restaurants on pad sites, with and without a drive-thru: the site work, the building, the kitchen and the close-out under one contract. Our records include ground-up El Pollo Loco, Starbucks and Dillas Quesadillas restaurants in Dallas–Fort Worth, elsewhere in Texas and in Louisiana.
- 13 projects on record
- 5 brands, 11 cities, 2 states
- Fully bonded and insured
Who builds pad-site restaurants in DFW?
A freestanding restaurant is a small building with a lot packed into it: a commercial kitchen, a drive-thru, parking, utilities brought to the pad, signage and a site plan the city reviews. You want a general contractor that has built that exact building type, and that starts with the site before it prices the building.
Harrison Construction began with interior finish-outs in 2011 and later added a ground-up division. Ground-up restaurants on our records include El Pollo Loco locations in Arlington, Bedford, Grand Prairie, Hurst and Irving, Starbucks in Denton, Irving and Early, and Dillas Quesadillas in Frisco and Ruston, Louisiana.
What a ground-up restaurant involves
- Due diligence on the padutilities at the property line, the grease interceptor location, drainage, access drives, the drive-thru stacking the brand needs and what the developer of the center delivers.
- Site workgrading, utilities, paving, curbs, the drive-thru lane, parking, landscaping and site lighting, coordinated with the civil drawings.
- The buildingfoundation, structure, roof and envelope, storefront, then the restaurant interior: kitchen, hood and fire suppression, walk-in, dining room and restrooms.
- Drive-thru and signagethe window, the menu board and order point, the canopy where the brand has one, and the sign permit.
- Inspections and close-outthe city’s inspections through the certificate of occupancy, the health authority before opening, the punch list and the close-out documents.
Ground-up vs. a build-out in an existing building
A freestanding building gives the brand its drive-thru, visibility from the road and its own parking. It also carries the site work, the utility connections and a longer list of approvals. A build-out in an end cap or a second-generation restaurant avoids most of that, but the building sets the limits.
In pre-construction we price both when the choice is still open, so the decision is made on the real cost of each site, not on a rule of thumb.
New drive-in and drive-thru restaurants in Fort Worth
Drive-ins and drive-thrus put the traffic on the site plan first. The stacking lane, the order point, the menu board and how cars leave decide where the building sits. We review that layout with the brand’s architect and the civil engineer before the building is priced, because moving a lane after the permit is the expensive way.
Sonic drive-ins are on our records as renovations, and our ground-up records include drive-thru restaurants for El Pollo Loco and Starbucks.
Retail pad buildings
The same ground-up division builds single-tenant and small multi-tenant pad buildings for retail and service tenants. Our ground-up records also include a warehouse in Grapevine and an RV and boat storage facility in Northlake.
Related: Ground-up construction · Franchise restaurants · Restaurant construction.
I would be elated to work with Mr Harrison on future projects as I only expect successful and positive outcomes in large part to the direction and effort that Mr. Harrison brings to the project team.
Built by Harrison Construction
13 buildings we built from the ground up
Ground-up projects in the Harrison Construction project records. El Pollo Loco (6), Starbucks (3), Dillas Quesadillas (2), Northlake Storage and Huffman Warehouse, in 11 cities across 2 states, contracts ranging from $100,000–$250,000 to more than $2 million.
| Project | City | Address | Size | Work | Completed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northlake Storage | Northlake, TX | 1801 Whyte Rd | 440,000 sq ft site, 876 sq ft building | Ground-Up · Phase 1 · Phases 2 and 3, canopies | Over $2M | |
| Dillas Quesadillas | Frisco, TX | 2055 University Dr | 3,000 sq ft | Ground-Up | $1M–$2M | |
| El Pollo Loco | Grand Prairie, TX | 2660 S HWY 161 | 3,150 sq ft | Ground-Up | 2018 | $1M–$2M |
| Dillas Quesadillas | Ruston, LA | 1003 Cooktown Rd | 1,400 sq ft | Ground-Up | 2024 | $500K–$1M |
| Starbucks | Irving, TX | 4080 W. Airport Freeway | 931 sq ft | Ground-Up | $500K–$1M | |
| Huffman Warehouse | Grapevine, TX | 3324 Hall Johnson Rd | 8,000 sq ft | Ground-Up | $100K–$250K | |
| El Pollo Loco | Arlington, TX | 4911 S Cooper St | 3,150 sq ft | Ground-Up | ||
| El Pollo Loco | Bedford, TX | 1900 Central Rd | 3,150 sq ft | Ground-Up | ||
| El Pollo Loco | Grand Prairie, TX | 2125 N State Hwy 360 | 3,150 sq ft | Ground-Up | ||
| El Pollo Loco | Hurst, TX | 1245 W Pipeline Rd | 3,150 sq ft | Ground-Up | ||
| El Pollo Loco | Irving, TX | 2137 Estrada Pkwy | 3,150 sq ft | Ground-Up | ||
| Starbucks | Denton, TX | 4910 Teasley Lane | 1,980 sq ft | Ground-Up | ||
| Starbucks | Early, TX | 117 Early Blvd | 2,200 sq ft | Ground-Up |
From the Harrison Construction project records. Sizes are the leased or built area of the space. Contract is the range of the contract value, never the amount; a blank means the office has not added it yet.
How we build it
Ground-Up Commercial Construction
Freestanding restaurants and pad buildings
Learn morePre-Construction Planning
Estimating, value engineering, permits
Learn moreConstruction Management & Coordination
Schedule, trades, reports, close-out
Learn moreCommercial General Contracting
One contract from permits to turnover
Learn moreWhy owners choose Harrison for freestanding restaurant construction
Restaurants, finish-outs and medical offices, built here
Founded in Fort Worth by Lonnie Harrison, who has more than 25 years in construction. 190 completed projects on record in 8 states, for Firehouse Subs, Sonic, Five Guys, Taco Cabana, Starbucks, El Pollo Loco and 7-Eleven, among 73 brands.
Licensed in Texas and 29 other states
What a landlord, a lender and a franchise brand ask for first, with a ground-up division and a finish-out team under one roof.
Meetings, reports, changes priced first
Regular progress meetings and electronic project reports from the site visit to the punch list. A change is priced and approved before it is built.
Who is a good ground-up restaurant builder in Dallas–Fort Worth?
One with freestanding restaurants on its project records, a ground-up division that handles the site and the building, and a pre-construction process that prices the site first. Harrison Construction has built ground-up El Pollo Loco, Starbucks and Dillas Quesadillas restaurants.
Do you build new drive-in and drive-thru restaurants in Fort Worth?
Yes. Our ground-up records include drive-thru restaurants in Dallas–Fort Worth, and we renovate operating drive-ins such as Sonic.
Do you build pad-site restaurants in DFW?
Yes. Freestanding restaurants on pad sites in shopping centers and on their own lots are the core of our ground-up restaurant work.
Do you build new quick-service restaurants in Dallas?
Yes. Dallas and the cities around it are part of our everyday service area, and our ground-up records include restaurants in Irving, Grand Prairie, Arlington and Frisco.
Do you build retail pad buildings?
Yes. Single-tenant and small multi-tenant pad buildings are part of our ground-up work.
What does a freestanding restaurant cost to build?
It depends on the site, the brand’s prototype and the drive-thru. A conceptual estimate in pre-construction gives the real figure for your pad before you commit.
Useful before you start
Building a Drive-Thru Restaurant on a Texas Pad Site
A pad site has to work as a whole property, not just fit a building. Here is what to settle before the drawings go out to bid.
Read
How Pre-Construction Planning Reduces Expensive Surprises
Pre-construction is the work between deciding to build and the first crew on site. Here is what it includes, what it catches and what to bring.
Read
Common Budget Surprises in Commercial Construction
Most budget surprises come from a short list of causes. Knowing the list is the first step to keeping them out of your project.
Read
Planning a freestanding restaurant project?
Planning a new location, build-out, renovation or commercial development? Tell us about your project and we’ll help identify the next step.
What to send us
The address, the lease or letter of intent, any drawings or the brand’s prototype set, and the date you need to open. Not all of it is needed to start the conversation.
Email office@harrisonconstructionteam.com or call (817) 988-0242.
