We have over 375 professionals working coast to coast, and licensure across all 50 states, so we can collaborate no matter where you’re based. We seek to deliver the right balance of simplicity and innovation to align teams and technology around what matters most—your customer.
licensed in states
5 COUNTRIES
2
10,000+ projects permitted across OFFICES
1900+ communities
who we are
Our Vision
Amplify our Solution Suite to client-partners through securing vital talent and harnessing advancing technologies.
Our Purpose
Leading clients to fulfill their vision while building lasting partnerships.
Our Culture
HFA aspires to be a people first culture of empowerment where talent thrives.
Bring your whole design team together.
At HFA, we unite the expertise of your multi-discipline team of architects, engineers, permitters, and other industry professionals, so you can:
+ Maximize coordination across disciplines
+ Streamline communications and gather feedback earlier
+ Create higher quality documents that can be delivered sooner single-source studio
fully integrated disciplines
Architecture
Electrical Engineering
Fire Protection Engineering
Civil Engineering
Landscape Architecture
Fueling Design
Mechanical Engineering
Plumbing Engineering
Structural Engineering
Interior Architecture
Refrigeration
specialized partners
Full Concept Development Services
HFA leads a broad team of specialized partners supporting clients with fully developed venues.
Interiors FFE
Kitchen
Vendor Lighting
Branding
Signage
focused on design
A concept design service with a simple mission: Bring storytellling to life through the built environment.
Our Formula
+ Understand your identity
+ What do your patrons value?
+ Create a narrative tailored to your interest
+ Transform the story into the built environment
Building Brand Experiences, One Patron At a Time
Keeping your patrons at the center of our design process helps us create environments that are not only functional, but also create the most positive interactions between your space and your customers.
project experience
Chick-fil-A
Various Locations
Chick-fil-A sought to partner with an architecture firm that could provide a centralized prototype design, helping them save on costs and promote consistency across their restaurants nationwide. HFA was selected due to our change management process and experience handling large-scale projects with other major restaurants and retailers.
As our relationship grew and the scope of work increased, we became more heavily involved in the long-term planning and execution of Chick-fil-A restaurant projects. Unlike traditional client-architect relationships, HFA partners with Chick-fil-A as an extension of their internal team. We are regularly involved in corporate meetings to provide expert knowledge of both the Chick-fil-A restaurants and industry thought leadership.
project experience
Fielding’s
Offering a premier selection of wines, seasonally rotating cocktails, and craft beers alongside its menu of handcrafted American fare — including fresh seafood, house dryaged and hand cut 44 Farms steaks, and hand-spun gelato — Fielding’s prioritizes using local and sustainable sourced products. The 6,000-square-foot restaurant will feature a lounge area with live music, private dining rooms, a wood and coal-fired kitchen, and two patios with outdoor seating, creating a relaxed and intimate ambiance. Houston, TX
project experience
Home Run Dugout
Katy, TX
HFA was honored to lead the concept design for Home Run Dugout in Katy, TX. The 40,000-square-foot sports and entertainment complex includes 12 simulated hitting bays, a music stage, and a Wiffle Ball field. Our Hospitality + Entertainment Team used the Matchstick process throughout concept design, schematic design, design development, and construction administration. The collaborative process with the client led to spaces where the end-user feels comfortable and engaged with sports amenities throughout the facility that appeals to patrons looking for a destination experience, as well as those wanting a neighborhood feel. Our team was serious about the mission to make anyone at Home Run Dugout feel like they can hit a home run.
project experience
Bojangles
Various Locations
HFA has worked alongside the Bojangles Design and Construction Teams since 2020, and as the program architect, we developed the architecture, MEP, and structural standards for the ground-up prototypes.
Our team has created multiple prototype designs based on lot size, preferred kitchen and dining room square footage, and a new DTO (drive-through only) design. For these prototypes, we utilize traditional stick built, modular, and panelized construction processes based on square footage.
Prototype Development | Site Specific Projects
project experience
Black Rock Coffee
Various Locations
HFA has worked alongside Black Rock Coffee Design and Construction Teams since 2019, collaborating together to create a prototype that is cost and timeline conscious while maintaining the consistency of their community-driven brand experience.
Our team provides site analysis + evaluation, restaurant design, kitchen layout, exterior design visualizations required for approval by local jurisdictions, construction documents, permitting + entitlements, and construction administration to franchisees of Black Rock Coffee.
Prototype Design + Development | Site Specific Projects
project experience
Slim Chickens
Various Locations
Our partnership with Slim Chickens has evolved over the years from prototype development and site adapt work. In recent years, we partnered with a local franchisee on four local restaurants that have unique kitchen designs and are some of the top grossing locations Slim Chickens maintains. This strong, successful partnership has also allowed us to take a larger part in prototype development and management for Slim Chickens corporate, as well. Being near Slim Chickens headquarters in Fayetteville, AR also allows our team even more in-person opportunities to meet with new franchisees and corporate clients prior to construction.
project experience
Rockin’ & Roastin’ Cafe
Westwood, MA
Combining the spirit of rock n’ roll with an unmatched coffee shop experience, our team worked with Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer to design his flagship cafe for the Rockin’ & Roastin’ brand of premium coffee.
We were responsible for the exterior and interior design, custom millwork, graphics, signage, equipment, and furniture design and selection. To really bring Joey Kramer’s rock n’ roll vision to life, we incorporated music memorabilia from his own collection into the interior, including a full drum kit with display case, stage lighting, and illuminated platform.
project experience
Freddy’s
Various Locations
Five years ago, our team was approached by a local developer that was also a Freddy’s franchisee, to design a multi-tenant development with a Freddy’s restaurant anchoring the development as the end cap, flanked by two other tenants.
Our team took the Freddy’s prototype and provided the client with high-quality construction documents that incorporated their individual design style, ultimately avoiding any potential RFIs that might complicate the construction process. We built a client-specific REVIT prototype for this client, as well.
project experience
Tacos 4 Life
Various Locations
From the very beginning of our conversations with Tacos 4 Life, rolling out locations quickly throughout the region was always top-of-mind. Our team partnered with Tacos 4 Life to help make this dream a reality by supporting them through the creation of their first location in Little Rock, AR, thanks to value engineering support on the current building design and prototype they were working with. By providing them costeffective solutions that met brand expectations, they were able to expand at a faster rate, which allowed them to deliver on the motto of giving back meals to those less fortunate for every taco or bowl sold.
Prototype Design + Development | Site Specific Projects
project experience
Sonic
Various Locations
Throughout our work with Sonic, we’ve worked on corporate and franchisee restaurant locations, both new ground-up and retro-fitted locations. Each time, our team has been careful to keep designs consistent with the prototype, while still incorporating the needs and creativity that franchisees would like to see in their locations. One such Sonic location melded the prototype with new and interesting developments, like a dog park placed front and center at the restaurant, allowing customers to eat on the patio with their families, four-legged family members included.
