Do fast-food franchises have to be in the same style building as those in North Carolina, Nevada, or Virginia? The answer is "of course not."

National franchises and chain stores can and do change their standard building design to "fit in" with the local character of the surrounding community. But they only do this in communities savvy enough to insist on something better than "off-the-shelf", cookie-cutter architecture.

Experience shows that if you accept standard cookie-cutter design, this is what you'll get. On the other hand, if your community insists on a customized, site-specific design, that is what you will get. To understand how, see the tips at the end of the article.

The bottom line for most face-food companies and other franchises is securing access to profitable trade areas. They evaluate locations based on their economic potential. If they are asked to address local historic or architectural concerns, they will usually do so.

Besides fast-food restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores are the two most prominent franchises in our auto-oriented society, and they contribute to the homogenization of communities. Massive "big box" retailers can be overwhelming to smaller communities, physically as well as economically. But as these corporations experience increasing opposition from citizens, there increasingly are examples of how these huge companies have adapted their designs or even their locations to meet local standards. Today, communities all across America are working successfully with franchises and chain store to get buildings that fit in.

Lessons Learned

Ask, and you may receive. Experience shows that if you accept the standard "cookie-cutter" design, that's what you'll get. On the other hand, if your community insists on a customized, place responsive building, then that is what you'll get. The bottom line for most chain stores is securing access to good trade areas. They evaluate locations based on their economic potential. If they are required to address local historic or architectural concerns, they will usually do so. Hundreds of local communities have successfully worked with national chains and franchises to get buildings that respect local community identity. Your community can too!

Use incentives and public opinion, too. In cases where chain stores and franchises insist on placing corporate interest over community interest, local government can use a variety of regulations and incentives to foster compatibility between franchises and communities. These include incentives, such as relaxed parking standards, density bonuses, and tax credits, as well as regulatory techniques such as historic districts, design guidelines and review, conditional use permits, site plan review, corridor overlay zones, sign controls, and landscape ordinances. However, with or without legal tools, no community should forget the power of public opinion. Many of the successes grew out of public calls for site-0specific design or for saving a cherished building.

Reconsider the location of the playground. Fast-food chains sometimes insist on building a large playground in front of their building. If this is inappropriate for your site, stand firm. There are thousands of highly profitable fast-food restaurants without gaudy outdoor playgrounds. And, there alternatives.

Drive-thrus provide leverage. Americans love to drive, so it is no surprise that businesses offering drive-thru facilities are so popular. However, given the pedestrian orientation of most downtowns and neighborhood commercial areas, drive-thru windows can present both urban design and safety problems.

First, recognize that drive-thrus are not a requirement of fast-food restaurants. There are many profitable fast-food eateries without drive-thrus. However, franchises often argue that drive-thrus are a necessity even in pedestrian-oriented locations because they can account for over 50% less business. In fact, the total number of customers may be identical, but the point of sale will be different. Making drive-thrus conditional on design concessions is a very effective technique.

Scrutinize the signs. Garish, oversized signs are one of the more objectionable aspects of franchises and chains. Left unchecked, the "copy-cat" logic of corporate competition often results in an unsightly clutter of portable signs, pole signs, plastic pennants, flapping flags, and twirling streamers all shouting for attention. Experience shows that sign clutter is ugly, costly, and ineffective. Experience also shows that when signs are controlled, franchises do a better job of selling at less cost, because shoppers can now find what they are looking for. When it comes to signage, businesses want a level playing field. They can compete for attention with 100' tall signs or 10' tall signs. Either way, the burgers taste the same.

• The keys to success. National corporations and their local franchises are more likely to agree to design modification when:
• Design objectives are clearly stated. The developer and architects should know in advance what criteria will be applied to the proposed project.
• The local government offers pre-application meetings. Misunderstandings can be avoided if the national company is given a chance to meet informally with staff and commission members prior to submitting a formal application.
• Visual design guidelines are available. Many communities no longer rely solely on written design standards. They have adopted visual design guides that graphically depict what constitutes a compatible design.
• Local groups know when to compromise. Fast food companies care a lot more about some things than others. For example, they are much more adamant about having a drive-thru than they are about architectural styles or sign heights.
• There is organized community support for historic preservation or urban design standards.

Things You Should Know:

• Design review is one means of ensuring the compatibility of franchise design with local community character.
• More than 3,000 cities, towns, and counties nation-wide exercise some type of design review.
• Even without a design review ordinance, a community can develop voluntary design guidelines. These can help to foster new buildings in harmony with their surroundings, especially if combined with public education and incentives.
• Most fast-food restaurants n Europe are in restored historic buildings.
• Many communities have placed limits on the size of retails stores.
• Sometimes, the size cap is on the amount of land covered by the building, in effect allowing more square footage in additional stories.
• "Big boxes" have located in downtowns or in existing buildings.
• Toys-R-Us has two-story downtown buildings in several communities, including Santa Monica, California. Wal-Mart has located in a recycled Woolworth's building in Bennington, Vermont, and in a vacant Kmart in downtown Rutland, Vermont.

For more information:

Planners Web - An Introduction to Design Guidelines

Planners Web - An Introduction to Urban Design

Preservation League of New York State

American Planning Association

New York Planning Federation

James Howard Kunstler - author
"Geography of Nowhere"

Ed McMahon is Vice President of The Conservation Fund
1800 N. Kent Street, Suite 1120
Arlington, VA 22209-2156
Tel: 703-525-6300
Fax: 703- 525-4610