Go West: “We are just delighted to finally be in West,” said Laura Doskocil, CFO of Slovacek’s, at the company’s grand opening in December. “West has such a strong Czech culture that we are so happy to share and be a part of."
Keep Your Wagon Hitched: The c-store boasts a drive-thru, which was a must for retailer and designer. “Of course we have the drive-thru, which is so on trend with c-stores these days,” says Paragon interior designer Whitney Burns.
Conversion: “At Paragon, we get the chance to really see everything under the sun when it comes to convenience stores,” says Paragon interior designer Whitney Burns. “But this was especially fun for us because it was such a challenge. To convert that space completely and transform it into that charismatic and fun location that has so much history and culture to it was a great experience.”
Meat and Ice: The sheer scope of the store allowed designers to focus on the different areas that make up the whole. The fountain and iced-beverage station is decorated in cool graphic tones and refreshing words and phrases. Need a frosty beverage to go with your sausage? It’s easy to find in this design.
Wood You: Paragon’s Burns says she and fellow designers had a good time walking through the building before it was transformed, searching for treasures they could reuse in their design: “The old owners had to leave in a hurry, so a lot of the equipment and quirky, fun items were still in the building that we were able to reuse. Most of the wood that you see on the exterior and interior of the building was reclaimed wood.”
Casing the Joint: The designers were also tasked with coming up with a beautiful, functional way of displaying Slovacek’s bread and butter: sausage. This meat counter is fully stocked with a huge variety of the encased specialty meats the company is known for.
Goods to Go: “One of the things they wanted to focus on was gourmet foodservice,” says Paragon interior designer Whitney Burns. “And they wanted to have a fresh-baked-goods area. For Slovacek’s, one of their main focuses is on the fresh baked goods; fresh pastries, dessert breads. … Kolaches are a big part of the design. We were really going for a warm design for the bakery area.”
My Belle: Laura Belle’s Frozen Yogurt is based on one of the store’s owners. “We created a whole frozen-yogurt program around a photo of her when she was 6 or 7,” says Paragon interior designer Whitney Burns.
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