Restaurants open and remodel constantly across Irving, from the Las Colinas Urban Center and Water Street to the shopping centers along State Highway 114 and the neighborhoods around Valley Ranch. In almost every one of those build-outs, the storefront glass does a lot of work: it shows off the dining room, brings in light, frames the entrance and often opens onto a patio.
This article covers what restaurant owners, designers and general contractors should plan for when storefront glass is part of an Irving build-out.
Start With the Entrance
The entrance gets more use than any other part of the storefront. Restaurant doors open hundreds of times a day, often with staff carrying deliveries and guests coming in groups.
- Door type: aluminum storefront doors are durable and common. All-glass doors look more open but need careful hardware selection.
- Hardware: heavy-duty closers, pivots and panic hardware where required. Cheap closers fail quickly at a busy restaurant.
- Accessibility: door widths, opening force, threshold height and clear floor space must meet accessibility requirements.
- Vestibules: a two-door vestibule helps hold conditioned air in during Texas summers.
Patio Walls and Operable Glass
Many Irving restaurants want indoor-outdoor dining. That might mean a storefront wall that faces a patio, a folding or sliding glass wall, or a large pass-through window for a bar. Operable glass systems need more structure, careful drainage at the sill and a plan for weather. Fixed storefront with a pair of patio doors is simpler and costs less, but gives less of an open feel.
Heat and Glare in the Dining Room
A west-facing storefront can make the dining room uncomfortable for the dinner rush. Insulated low-E glass reduces heat gain and glare while keeping the view clear. Overhangs, awnings and interior shades help too, but the glass choice sets the starting point.
Safety Glazing
Building codes require safety glazing in doors, in glass near doors and in large lites close to the floor. In practice, most restaurant storefront glass is tempered, and some locations use laminated glass for added security. Your glazing contractor should confirm each lite on the drawings before ordering.
Permits and the Landlord
New storefronts and changes to an existing opening generally require a permit through the City of Irving. In a shopping center or mixed-use building, the landlord usually has design criteria for storefront color, mullion layout and signage. Get the landlord’s approval on shop drawings early, because changes after glass is ordered are expensive.
Scheduling With the General Contractor
Storefront glass sits in the middle of the build-out schedule. Framing and openings must be ready before measuring, and the glass should go in before interior finishes that could be damaged by installation. A typical sequence looks like this:
- Openings framed and ready for field measurement
- Shop drawings submitted and approved by the designer and landlord
- Glass and frames fabricated
- Frames installed, glass set, doors hung and adjusted
- Final sealing, hardware checks and punch list before inspection
Lead times for custom glass, operable walls and specialty hardware can be the longest items on the schedule, so order them as early as possible.
Remodeling an Existing Restaurant
When a restaurant takes over an existing space, the storefront may only need new glass, new doors or new hardware. Fogged insulated units, worn closers and doors that drag are common in older centers. Sometimes replacing the entrance and a few lites gives a fresh look at a fraction of the cost of a new system.
Restaurant Glass in Irving
We handle storefront glass for restaurant build-outs and remodels across Irving and Dallas. Call 866-665-3975 to talk through your project, or read about repair, replacement and new installation.