One Red Dog
We were first selected in 1995 to project manage the construction and fitout of four new franchises of the successful Auckland One Red Dog Restaurant and Bar, in Wellington, Queenstown, Dunedin and Takapuna.
We were responsible for the procurement, tendering, construction, management and cost control of the fitout works, and developed documentation for the standardisation of the specialist Beer Supply, Refrigeration, Post Mix and Security Systems.
We were also involved in assessment of potential premises. Finding a building in a good location that had plenty of character, and that could be converted to meet the compliance requirements for a restaurant and bar proved very challenging at times, but on each occasion a suitable site was eventually found.
The restaurants all have art deco interiors, large custom booths and bright walls with plenty of decoration. They also have separate bars that feature the signature red dog, which is lit up.
Work on each site was very intense, and threw up similar challenges, such as how to go about installing the red dog in the bar. To deal with these, we promoted and developed a team approach. Using the same key members for each fitout meant we all knew what issues to expect and how to work around them, allowing each successive project to run more and more smoothly. The architect, Alan Cowie, has worked on all the Red Dog fitouts, and also worked with us on the Loaded Hog projects throughout the country, which had many of the same challenges.