Rhodes Design Group's Ingenuity Helps It Survive

In 2006 Rhodes Design Group (RDG) was soaring as one of metro Atlanta’s most respected design/build firms specializing in entrances and amenities for homebuilders.

The Suwanee-based company's niche was offering subdivision branding, signage, walls, gates, guardhouses, landscape architecture, recreation areas, clubhouses, pools, tennis courts, and playgrounds. Duluth was one of its “hot” spots with The Highlands at Duluth and Willowstone as signature projects.

When the building industry slammed to a halt four years ago, RDG had to react fast to survive. Owner James Rhodes says it was the company's commercial contractor's license that saved them. That license allowed them to reinvent their business model and target a new customer base, while still being true to their core passion for design/build.

Rhodes joined forces with his son-in-law Nick Ladikos, a former executive chef, to carve out a new niche for themselves as a turn-key design/build firm specializing in restaurant design and renovations and commercial tenant build-outs. With key referrals from bankers and real estate and restaurant brokers, RDG‘s new business model took shape, and they were able to effectively rechannel their talents and expertise to a whole new segment of the real estate industry.

One of RDG’s biggest restaurant remodeling projects to-date was Egg Harbor Café, the former JR’s BBQ on Medlock Bridge Road. “That project was a beast," Rhodes said. "So many of the building codes had changed since the original building was built that we had to drive a Bobcat inside and gut the place. It was originally the old Duluth fire station.”

Asked if they were concerned that the economic strain consumers are feeling might cause the restaurant industry to cut back too, Ladikos said: “People always have to eat." And their desire to eat more healthy has kept the restaurant industry growing strong, he said. "Restaurants are having to change and respond, which is good for our business. The push for farm-to-table restaurants has created a new niche in the industry and a new demand for a different type of dining experience.” 

RDG is proving itself a strong competitor in the marketplace. The company's average permit to opening timeline is 90-120 days. “Because we design and build, we enable our clients to value-engineer and fast-track the process," Rhodes said. "We understand that they make their money up front with effective lease negotiation, controlling buildout costs, and how quickly they get open.” Ladikos' knowledge of restaurant operation and kitchen efficiency is a plus to clients.

Additionally RDG’s in-house design team is able to offer support with branding, marketing, menu design, website development, signage, landscaping, furnishing coordination, and more. 

RDG is no longer just holding on but is thriving again. They’ve done more than 15 different restaurant projects over the past 36 months. When asked what kept him going, Rhodes responded: “God! He has clearly given us new ideas and energy we did not think we had in us.”

To learn more about the RDG and the many projects they have going, visit www.rhodesdesigngroup.com.