ATLANTA, July 15 – Miller Zell is excited to unveil the newly redesigned and upgraded interior of Church’s Texas Chicken® Atlanta headquarters, another great collaboration between the longtime, strategic partners.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, as the transformative redesign has delivered a new energy and excitement about the brand.
"The upbeat colors, inspirational copy and authentic photography present in the new space -- along with the open cubes and window light -- has impacted the team in a very positive manner," said Georgia Margeson, Church's Senior Director, Brand Strategy & Content.
"People now look forward to coming into the office."
When Church’s first reached out to Miller Zell about the remodel in May of 2024, they felt their current space was outdated and uninspired, particularly for such a vibrant international brand.
The redesign would address key areas covering two floors: the lobby, team cubicles, meeting rooms and common areas on the 11th floor, plus a lower-level Research & Development area that includes their test kitchen and tasting area.
Miller Zell’s SVP/Creative Director Paul Wolski and a team of our designers, including our Church’s core group led by Corwin Carter, found inspiration from Church’s brand guidelines to develop two concept directions that would celebrate the company’s history and legacy in an energizing and engaging space.
Once a concept was selected, our team developed a robust and visually layered design package that incorporates brand storytelling with a vibrant color palette, rich textures and punchy graphic flair.
“The Church’s Texas Chicken brand has evolved over the years and it’s currently experiencing a resurgence in growth it hasn’t experienced in years. It’s an exciting time to be with the brand and we wanted our office space to reflect that same energy.”
— Georgia Margeson, Senior Director, Brand Strategy & Content
Environmental graphics — using a combination of “floating” panels, dimensional lettering, wall covering and vinyl graphics — create storytelling vignettes focused on Church’s past, present and future. These are not just decorative but also inform and inspire staff, visitors and future franchisees alike. Moreover, one tenet of Miller Zell’s overall design solution is the ability for certain components to change out/update over time to accommodate any shifts in Church’s brand positioning and language, saving time and money in the long run.
Design highlights include a life-sized image of George W. Church, the founder of Church’s Chicken, who greets visitors in the entry lobby while holding a plate of fried chicken. It serves as a fun selfie moment! In another area, a logo history display presents each iteration of the brand mark (there have been six redesigns over 73 years) as layered acrylic “sketches” that illustrate the mechanics of each logo over time, letting the viewer experience each from different perspectives in 3D.
More than a few of Church’s team members working in the building have told us they love the views from different perspectives throughout the space, and that the transformative redesign has delivered a new energy and excitement about the brand.
For us, it’s been another gratifying collaboration with a great partner.
For more information, or to chat about what Miller Zell can do to upgrade your branded environments, please contact us here.