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New Venture Is Less Risky with Bold Awnings
 The Challenge:
It takes a lot of guts to open a new restaurant in a down economy. Scott Day used the economy as inspiration. He knew that families were still eating out, they were just spending less. His concept was to offer comforting food – his grandmother’s fried chicken -- and excellent service in a fun environment where families could eat for $10 or less per person. He called this restaurant concept with its slimmed-down menu, Slim Skillets.
Day planned to open his new restaurant in a building that was previously Grisanti’s Bol of Pasta on Germantown Parkway. For the inside he worked with the designer to plan a fun and whimsical décor that would feature work by local artists.
The outside was another matter. Day had to figure out how to erase any signs of the former restaurant and draw in hungry crowds from the thousands of cars that passed every day.
“When you’re starting a new business that has no identity and no brand recognition, visibility is critical,” said Day, who co-owns the newly opened Slim Skillets with Denny Day and Simpson Hughes.
The Solution:
Day had a knock-out sign design, but he also wanted to alter the look of the building and grab more attention. He and the designer decided to flank the sign on either side with coordinating canopies.
“We used Parasol Awnings to make the awnings for The Butcher Shoppe, which we also own, so we automatically included them in the bidding,” said Day. “We also got estimates from two other companies. Parasol’s bid was the best. Of course, we already knew that Parasol’s customer service and quality would be great.”
Andrew Henning, account executive with Parasol Awning, met with Day and the designer to determine the best awning choice. Henning reviewed the colors, styles, options for fabrication and installation with the pair.
“Aesthetically, the purpose of the awnings is to frame the sign and not compete with it,” said Henning. “So we wanted to use bold colors but in a very simple way.”
Day is happy with the awnings and his second experience with Parasol Awnings: “They did the job quicker than estimated, so the awnings were done and installed early. Andrew was very detailed and thorough. They did a great job.”
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