In Spring 2007, our firm was retained by Microsoft Fargo and Perkins + Will to conduct preliminary planning services for the corporation which was making significant changes to its Fargo, North Dakota campus including the addition of several new structures including an amenities building that houses the campus’s new foodservice venue. Our team participated in a two-day charette on site to begin the initial planning and set a foundation for the goals and objectives of the dining operations as well as the expanding campus as a whole. Using the information gathered during this meeting, we developed a web-based survey to assess employees’ current dining habits and preferences.
All of the market research was used to develop recommendations and draft financial projections so that the project team could see the financial impact of our recommendations. We also determined foodservice facility space allocations, program definitions and a list of pros and cons for two possible scenarios; one featuring a single central dining location and another featuring multiple locations.
With our planning work complete, our Design Studio was hired to assist the project team with the next step: designing the new foodservice venue. Located inside the amenities building, this café features an upscale a la carte marketplace café offering a wide variety of food including deli sandwiches, salads, entrees, pizza, desserts and more. The café seats 460 and serves breakfast and lunch to approximately 1,100 customers. Our team designed a coffee bar and staging pantry on the second level to support a 7,100 square foot multi-purpose room.
