Lessons from Coffee Shop Builds: Scaling Quality, Agility, and Experience

A clean, modern café interior designed around openness and natural light—balancing comfort and functionality for everyday coffee culture.

Coffee shops aren’t just retail environments. They’re cultural institutions—places people return to daily, whether for a quick caffeine fix, a workspace away from home, or a gathering spot with friends. Designing and building these spaces requires more than craftsmanship. It requires speed, consistency, and adaptability at a scale few industries demand.

At DisplayIt, our experience working with one of the largest coffee companies in the country has defined how we’ve grown as a company and how we think about program management today.

From Projects to Programs

As CEO Kurt Ripkey explains, this partnership fundamentally changed the way DisplayIt operates.

“Before we took on this customer, we used a one-off approach,” Ripkey says. “Through this program, we became a production, multi-location, national business.”

Behind the counter: every inch of the workspace is engineered for efficiency, durability, and seamless service flow.

This shift—from one-off projects to long-term, scalable programs—meant learning to work not just with drawings and fabrication schedules, but with a complex ecosystem: general contractors, real estate teams, construction managers, and brand stakeholders. It meant aligning to rhythms beyond our own, even working overnight to keep pace with store refreshes and renovations.

The lesson: a program isn’t a project repeated—it’s a system built to scale.

Building for Speed and Scale

Our customers’ rapid growth required a partner that could maintain quality while dramatically increasing output. Justin Parker, who oversees the program, puts it simply: “Consistency is essential, but so is agility. Our job is to deliver both.”

To achieve that, DisplayIt established a 24-hour engineering cycle spanning the U.S., China, and Mexico, ensuring drawings were in constant review. Manufacturing was spread across dual U.S. facilities and overseas operations, supported by more than 100 skilled craftsmen and advanced equipment. Nationwide installation teams, guided by detailed pre-installation planning, allowed for precise and timely rollouts.

Warm tones and detailed craftsmanship bring texture and depth to this sculptural coffee bar, blending design and precision fabrication.

The results speak for themselves: our customer expanded from 11 new stores in 2019 to more than 430 in 2024, across 14 states—with DisplayIt as a partner every step of the way.

The Complexity of Refresh Work

While new builds are essential, coffee companies also rely heavily on refresh programs to keep stores relevant. These projects are often more complex than starting from scratch.

“Ground-up projects are straightforward,” Ripkey explains. “But a refresh means working in an active store, often overnight, coordinating with general contractors and tackling issues ranging from cracked flooring to delaminated doors.”

Even the smallest spaces deserve thoughtful design. Durable, easy-to-clean materials ensure long-lasting performance in high-traffic areas.

The ability to adapt—whether replacing casework, repairing tile, or updating fixtures—requires both technical expertise and careful coordination. These refreshes demand flexibility without disrupting the customer experience, and they’ve become a core part of how DisplayIt supports the coffee industry.

Culture of Agility

Perhaps the most lasting impact of this partnership has been the mindset it instilled. Working within the coffee sector taught DisplayIt to be consultative, flexible, and relentless about process.

As Ripkey notes: “We understand the culture. We understand the urgency and the workflow. Not only how to open a new store, but how to maintain one, refresh one, and keep it relevant.”

That culture of agility now extends beyond coffee to every industry DisplayIt serves.

Warm woods and layered lighting create an inviting environment for guests to gather, relax, and connect.

Looking Forward

Coffee shops will continue to evolve—new formats, changing consumer behaviors, and refreshed brand identities. What won’t change is the demand for partners who can deliver at scale, with precision and flexibility.

Comfortable lounge seating transforms this corner into a cozy retreat within a busy coffee shop setting.

The lessons learned from working with one of the largest coffee companies in the country—and many others—remain clear: true partnership isn’t about building once. It’s about building, refreshing, and adapting—again and again—without ever sacrificing quality.

We’ve been able to duplicate this process, service, and solution for many other coffee companies across the U.S., including Blue Bottle, Portola and La Colombe. Let us show you what we can do for you.

An example of consistency at scale—every store designed and installed with the same commitment to quality and precision.

Talk to Our Team! Click Here to Get Started.