RealFood, a premier strategy and design advisory firm serving the global hospitality industry, announced the acquisition of design consulting firm, Foodservice Design Associates, Inc. The partnership merges the industry-leading hospitality design and operational advisory expertise of RealFood with the unique architectural and engineering design focus of Foodservice Design Associates.
Igniting efforts to expand both companies’ reach across the foodservice industry, the partnership fosters a new center for collaboration and cross-pollination of best practices from a variety of foodservice models, and establishes a deep resource pool for supporting all phases of the architectural design process.
“We always start with the desired guest experience, and this philosophy of intentional design has always set us apart,” says Ed Doyle, president of RealFood. “Now with Foodservice Design Associates as part of our growing team, we have leveled up our ability to effectively communicate and coordinate with architects on projects. The FDA team’s in-depth understanding of the architectural and engineering elements of commercial design gives us an incredible capacity to offer more value to our clients, as well as provide our services to additional segments of the foodservice industry, including education and healthcare.”
The RealFood portfolio includes more than 500 domestic and international clients, including: golf and country clubs; resorts and hotels; restaurant groups and independents; breweries and wineries; workplace and institutional dining facilities; family entertainment centers; and event and conference venues. Foodservice Design Associates’ current work includes new, prototype and renovation work in private and public schools; fellowship halls; assisted living and medical facilities; cafeterias and food courts for major corporations and government facilities; and hotels, restaurants, and theme park foodservice.
“With this partnership, we can draw upon the strengths of both firms, expand our client base in diverse regional areas, and offer our existing clients even more resources, including a licensed architect on the team, enhanced REVIT and rendering capabilities, more accurate project budget development and industry-leading operational consulting,” adds Philip Bean, AIA, principal of Florida-based Foodservice Design Associates. “We are confident that this represents a very positive and significant change in the way foodservice consulting is delivered to project design teams.”
The collective client portfolios of the two companies includes: Hilton, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and Westin Hotels; NASA; Universal Studios; Walt Disney World; Indian Wells Golf Resort, Night Shift Brewing; Seven Stars Bakery; ZD Wines Napa Valley; and Collier, Brevard, Volusia, Seminole, and Orange County Public Schools.
