
You may have noticed that your favorite childhood restaurants like Mcdonald’s, Burger King, and more have opted for a more modernized design. Why are the darker and more structured looks doing so well? Is all nostalgia lost when construction is done to modernize restaurants? Is it possible to keep nostalgia when modernizing restaurants without sacrificing sales?
EK Bailey has worked on many retail and fast food buildings and helped them to keep their brand while improving their overall structure. Below we will discuss how to keep history and nostalgia alive when improving the restaurant overall.
Why Nostalgic Restaurants Need To Be Upgraded
Even the best-constructed buildings will see wear and tear. Construction companies like EK Bailey can work with the original structure of your building and only fix what needs to be done for safety. Depending on what you want for your brand and business needs, you can keep some of the original elements while elevating your restaurant.
Other reasons that businesses work to construct a new building include:
- Structural problems
- New furnishing
- More usable space
- Better kitchen and prep spaces for better service
- New location
Meeting The Needs Of New Customers
The world continues to evolve and the needs of people continue to change. New generations of people will want to see different options than older generations. Popular restaurants want to meet the requests of customers in order to continue to make money. This is a major reason that restaurants expand or change the original layout. Looking at customers’ reviews or getting feedback will change how a restaurant looks in the future. They may even help keep nostalgia when modernizing restaurants by giving you elements to focus on in a redesign.
Recreate The Original Layout
If a restaurant can expand while still keeping some of the original layout this can be a great way to keep nostalgia when modernizing restaurants. Customers of all ages can enjoy the nostalgic look and feel of the inside of the restaurant while the exterior and backends can get an upgrade.
Sticking To A Brand And Keeping Nostalgia

Having a brand that sticks with consistent colors and design is important. While nostalgic restaurants won’t change all their brand colors, the exterior and interior of their building may change. For example, Mcdonald’s opted red roofs for black and gray, but they kept their iconic golden arches. Wendy’s changed their bright-colored interiors in the 90s for more neutrals, which may help improve people’s appetites.
Even if you want your restaurant to look completely modern, you still need to keep a consistent look through all locations so that it is easily recognizable. For example, Starbucks and Dutch Bro’s locations have their iconic logos and green and blue brand colors on every building.
Communicating To Contractors
Your brand is important, and what you want your floor layout to look like is also important. Contractors may have a different vision in mind for your restaurant, but you will need to clearly communicate what elements are important to keep.
EK Bailey does a pre-construction consultation to help lay out exactly what your project should look like in the end. This meeting will help estimate the budget, what challenges we may encounter, and how we will handle any of these obstacles. Communicate with your building team to help keep nostalgia when modernizing restaurants.
Utilize Storytelling While Modernizing The Structure
Keeping the nostalgia alive is important when you change up a restaurant that has been around for a long time. Whether it is a large chain restaurant or a family-owned establishment, having employees talk about history can keep it alive.
Hang up photos of how the building has changed over time and write out a story on how the business came to be. Many customers love to read these and know more about the establishment that they are supporting.

Commercial Construction From EK Bailey
Our company has completed multiple construction projects on large and small scales. We were founded in 1956 and have been able to keep loyal customers for multiple years who continue to come back to us when they need new projects. EK Bailey constructs office buildings, healthcare facilities, industrial, retail, and more. Contact our team to get the process started!