The Burger King on Delaware Avenue is among the first in the nation to be renovated to become the company’s new “Pavilion Building.” The restaurant will showcase a modern design with glass features, as well as a two-lane drive-thru and digital menu boards. (Graphic submitted)
Burger King’s new design will cater to drive-thru rather than dine-in
A local Burger King will be one of the first locations to reflect the new look of restaurants throughout the U.S.
David Laslow, franchisee of the Burger King at 1044 Delaware Avenue, said the restaurant is among the first five to 10 locations nationwide being renovated to a new prototype building.
“This will not look like what you’ve seen on Route 31 or in Columbus,” Laslow said.
He said the Delaware Avenue location will be transformed into a design Burger King deems the “Pavilion Building.”
It will require the “complete demolition with removal of the foundation” of the previous building, Laslow said.
Though the restaurant will have the same footprint, Laslow said the new building will have a more “modern” and “square look.”
He said customers will notice significant changes to the exterior and interior of the building.
The front and side entrances into the dining area will be surrounded with glass, allowing customers to easily see into the building.
Outside, Laslow said there will be a “double drive-thru” with two lanes. There will also be new, digital menu boards.
For those who choose to dine-in, Laslow said the dining area will be slightly smaller than that of the former building but with “a whole new image.”
He said customers will specifically notice new lighting fixtures, including a large, overhead light shaped like a Whopper sandwich.
Laslow said the design of the new buildings has been in the works for several years.
Burger King first approached Laslow in March 2020, “right before the pandemic,” to ask if he would be interested in converting the restaurant into the prototype design.
“We both felt the community was the right fit,” he said.
He said both parties came to “a mutual agreement” to implement the new design, though plans were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of the renovation process, Laslow said, entails the Delaware Avenue location collecting and providing information for Burger King.
“We provide them feedback on a regular basis,” Laslow explained.
So far, he said he has provided information regarding the implementation of the design locally, including interactions with the City of Marysville’s Design Review Board. He said feedback will be “ongoing.”
Since the building is considered a prototype, Laslow said there is not a concrete target date for completion of the project.
“The supply chain is our biggest concern,” he noted.
He said he expects construction to take between three to four months and hopes the restaurant will reopen “sometime in the fall.”
Laslow also noted that employees of the Delaware Avenue location were offered temporary employment at the Route 31 Burger King during the renovation.
When the new building is completed, he said staffing levels will be “very similar” to what they were previously.
Though the restaurant will reflect “what Burger King’s new image is,” Laslow said he and his family will continue to embody the feel of a locally owned restaurant.
He noted that the Delaware Avenue Burger King was his father, Dave’s, first business in Marysville. He opened the restaurant in 1986.
Laslow said his family is particularly passionate about this location because “it’s where we started.”
“We’re excited to the turn the page to the next chapter,” he said.
Remnants of the former Burger King building and construction equipment are pictured at 1044 Delaware Avenue. Franchisee David Laslow said the restaurant is undergoing a “complete demolition” including the removal of the old building’s foundation. He said construction will last between three to four months before a new Burger King opens “sometime in the fall.” (Journal-Tribune photo by Kevin Behrens)