WD Partners has been working with Bob Evans Restaurants for more than 30 years. For this latest project, WD Partners designed a new “contemporary homestead” inspired by the Bob Evans farm in Rio Grande, Ohio, where Bob and Jewell Evans raised their family.

While designed to appeal to younger guests, the new restaurant is still welcoming to Bob Evans’ current customers. The interior offers a modern look, a variety of seating options, and free WiFi. Other changes include flat-screen TVs, an “eat-in kitchen,” a round farmhouse table, fresh interior graphics and updated staff uniforms, and a redesigned retail display with new packaging and increased emphasis on Bob Evans product.

WD SRE, WD Partners’ operations engineering group, developed a new kitchen layout, table configurations and kitchen equipment for the Xenia location. The group recently completed a very successful labor management program for Bob Evans. Steve Davis, Bob Evans’ CEO credits the resulting reduction in labor costs with allowing the company to more than offset negative same-store sales declines at both of their restaurant concepts.

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The contemporary homestead prototype is considered an integral part of the regional family-dining chain’s innovation plans. Bob Evans is utilizing their restaurant locations as part of their marketing mix to energize their people, enhance performance, and present the brand in a new way.