Partition project increases profits and cost savings for national burger giant.
As restaurants across the country – and around the world – struggle to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, many have been forced to adjust their operating procedures on a dime. Red Robin, the family-focused casual burger chain, was no different.
Once initial quarantine requirements loosened and restaurants could open in larger numbers, facilities teams still reeling from unexpected shutdowns had to then tackle a new problem: how to welcome guests back into restaurants comfortably and safely.
By mid-summer, guidelines throughout the country generally mandated that guests remain either 6 feet apart or separated by a non-porous barrier if closer than 6 feet. To remain 6 feet apart, many restaurants could only seat guests at every other table. If a barrier solution could be found, some restaurants could up to double their safe operating capacity and get their crews back to work faster.
Solution: Special US-made partitions
The solution had to be tangible and quick. The Facilities team at Red Robin devised a basic design for glass booth partitions with special brackets and approached MCMILLANCO, LLC in August, 2020 for manufacturing solutions.
MCMILLANCO’s engineering team took the bracket design and tweaked it to make it more manufacturable. With glass clamps from the original design unavailable due to supply shortages, the team instead integrated die-cut rubber insulator pads into the steel posts. These proved to effectively grip and immobilize the glass panels once in place. MCMILLANCO selected the best US-based providers for each step of the manufacturing process, including steel fabrication, powder coating, kitting and packaging. Throughout the process, MCMILLANCO was able to save Red Robin 15% in costs compared to original quotes provided by a competitor.
Success: Immediate increase in guest counts
By early September, an initial run of bracket posts and hardware supplied 14 Red Robin Restaurants with the hardware to install the glass partitions. The effort made an immediate impact with doubled capacity at most locations. Within 2 weeks after successful installation, the company reported increased guest counts for each location, which is a key performance indicator for the restaurant industry. This success paved the way for a full production run to supply brackets and hardware for the remaining 400+ corporate-owned Red Robin stores along with more than 20 franchised locations.
Even with a few custom post sets for restaurants with uncommon booth specifications, the entire project is on track to be complete by the week of Black Friday. MCMILLANCO is fulfilling all fulfillment needs for this project out of its new facility in Columbus, Ohio.
MCMILLANCO’s commitment to responsiveness and customer service were key to the success of this project, helping Red Robin to pivot and react quickly to the needs of its patrons and employees.
MCMILLANCO partition brackets are available in various sizes to fit nearly any partition project. Contact us today for more information.
