Nine Days…Twenty-three Hours Later…This Hardee’s Is Ready For The Guinness Book Of Records
Venture Construction Company holds the fast build record for the fast food industry.
In one hour less than ten days, Venture built a complete Hardee’s restaurant at Toco Hills Shopping Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The lapsed time extended from ground breaking ceremonies at 11 am on May 15th, 1979 to the final striping of the parking lot and punch out at 10 am May 25th, 1979.
At sunrise the next morning, the new restaurant served its first breakfasts—one of them to Liane Levetan, Dekalb County Commissioner, who served as an official witness to the record setting project.
The building record eclipsed the normal 16-week construction period for Hardee’s restaurants by all but 10 days. Importantly, it demonstrated that both time and money could be reduced in construction.
Over 250 workers were involved in the project. No prefabricated parts were used (except roof trusses). Planning and organization were the keys along with the steady work pace set by the Venture crews.
For companies like Hardee’s, the savings through super-fast construction techniques could—estimated the new owners—total in the millions of dollars. For Venture, it added new efficiencies to what it already believed were among the highest productivity building techniques in the fast food construction business.
Groundbreaking ceremony officially takes place at 11:00 am. Concrete is poured for the footings and floor. Utilities are installed and curbing started.
Walls are framed. Roof trusses set. Plumbing and electrical are started.
Insulation is installed. Drywall started. Plumbing and electrical are completed in walls.
Drywall is finished. The glass storefront and built-up roof are installed.
Brickwork is started, along with ceramic tile walls and quarry tile floors. Exterior concrete work is continued.
Brick and tile are continued. The air conditioning system is installed.
Interior paneling and the mansard roofing are installed, along with acoustical ceilings.
Kitchen equipment is installed, as are doors, hardware, and parking lot gravel. Interior trim and painting is done.
The parking lot is paved, dining room seats and tables are installed. Plumbing and electrical work are completed. Wallpaper is hung while landscaping is in progress. By 10 am Friday morning, the final cleanup and punch out is complete. Another Hardee’s is ready for business.