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CRUSHING IT COMMERCIAL KITCHENS And they sidestepped the whole fast-casual concept and labeled their vision "Artisan Fast." Commercial Kitchens sat down with Powell Kalish, broker as- sociate for Hilliker Corporation, and co-owner/co-founder of Crushed Red, to see how and where the brand is heading. Give us a snapshot of Crushed Red Brand? Crushed Red is a fast-casual restaurant specializing in organically-dressed chopped salads and personal-sized hand-stretched pizzas. The sal- ads are quickly and thoroughly chopped right in front of our guests, and the pizzas cook in our custom-made ovens in just 90 seconds. The frst location opened in Clayton, Mo., in 2012, followed by Kirk- wood, Mo., in 2013, and Creve Coeur, Mo., in 2015. Our frst Illinois restaurant is scheduled to open this year. The frst franchise locations opened in Denver in 2015. What type of consumer are you targeting? Crushed Red attracts a variety of demographics – from the business professional who wants a quick lunch, to the soccer mom with kids who each want their own pizza, to the young couple looking for a date night that won't break the bank. Our customers, who want an elevated fast-casual experience, believe they're getting a much better value than what they would experience with our competition. How does the design of the restaurant cater to today's consumers' taste? The design is very similar to Subway or Chipotle, where you go down the line and see the food created right before your eyes. Besides the prep kitchen, everything is upfront and open to the customer. They get to see all we have to offer, so their salad selection is a more visual experience. Walk us through how and why it designed the way it is? To capitalize on the "value-added" concept, our buildout is typically 20 percent more than our competition in order to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We uniquely offer butcher block tables, leather booths, wood foors and creative Mason jar lighting. We combine this ambiance with linen napkins, real glassware, china and silverware. All of these elements add to this total dining experience. Walk us through your construction and design strategy. Our construction team consists of our architect, equipment provid- er, millwork partners and general contractor. The kitchen and line are designed frst to ensure we map out the most necessary and essential equipment. 88 COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — MAY : JUNE 2016