Shea's designs often define Minneapolis’ retail hot spots

Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by John Vomhof Jr. Staff Writer

If you’ve ever gone shopping or out to eat in the Twin Cities, you’ve almost certainly come across Shea Inc.’s work.

To capture a sense of Shea’s impact, just take a quick stroll down Hennepin Avenue, where the Minneapolis design and marketing firm worked on Fogo de Chao, Solera and the Chambers Hotel. Or visit Nicollet Mall, where the firm’s projects have included the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant, Barrio Tequila Bar & Cafe and the new JB Hudson Jewelers store.

The 33-employee firm also assisted with the Midtown Exchange — even developing the Midtown moniker that the Minneapolis neighborhood now is known by — and various projects throughout Uptown and Northeast Minneapolis. It has done work for the Galleria shopping center in Edina and many of its individual stores, as well as more than 30 shops at the Mall of America.

Over the past 30 years, Shea has established itself as one of the Twin Cities’ leading design firms, working on everything from banks to restaurants, parking ramps to retail shops. It expects $3.5 million in revenue this year. Whether developing a new concept or trying to reinvigorate an old one, many business owners turn to Shea.

"We can point to virtually every building in town and we've either worked on the building itself or tenant space inside it," said Tanya Spaulding, a principal at Shea. "We've touched just about every property in town."

But despite that broad experience, the firm's designs have never gone stale.

"There's no Shea look," founder David Shea said. "Many architects and designers have looks of their own. What we have is a quality and a creativity. We use very different looks, but the quality and the creativity is always there."

The key, Shea said, is that the firm starts every project with a clean slate, never referring back to past projects. Designers also work on a range of projects, not individual categories.

"At Shea, there are no restaurant designers or retail designers," Spaulding said. "We don't departmentalize. At any given time, a designer may be working on a bank, a restaurant and a retail store."

Shea's designers also spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas with clients. "We spend a lot of time sitting with clients, throwing idea out there," Spaulding said. "You take their passion, then expand that with your own experiences to craft something novel and new every time."

That approach was evident when Shea designed the new store JB Hudson Jewelers moved into at the Young Quinlan Building in February, JB Hudson President and CEO Jeannie Joas said. The jewelry retailer moved after 78 years across the street in what is now the Macy's store.
"They really respected my mission of keeping the best of the old and the best of the new, infusing a real energy into this space," Joas said.

When Josh Thoma and Tim McKee were developing Barrio, David Shea traveled with them to Los Angeles to try out some tequila bars there. "He really understands current food trends and the food scene, not just locally but nationally," Thoma said of Shea. "He brings a lot of depth and functionality to his designs. You can have a beautiful restaurant, but if it can't function, you can't serve your guests and they won't come back."

It wasn't the first time Thoma and McKee had worked with Shea. They also worked with him on Solera , La Belle Vie and Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque & Pirate Bar. "You need somebody that understands your concept and your vision and can transform that vision onto paper and then into the actual space. [David Shea] really excels at that."

Shea's firm doesn't focus on how a new store or restaurant will look, though. The company spends an equal amount of time focused on how it will perform. Every aspect of a project is thoroughly researched and aims to address a specific business objective.

"Return on investment is a big thing for us," Shea said. "Everything we do has a business focus. Design is a method - a bridge - to get to the business solution."

And the firm's work doesn't end when a project is completed. Shea has been known to call some of his firm's clients to offer suggestions after visiting their stores or restaurants.

"You never let go," Shea said. "You believe that it could always be a little better, so you're always tinkering or adding to it."

Perhaps that's why clients keep coming back. About 80 to 90 percent of the firm's business comes from repeat clients, and most of the new clients come from referrals.

JB Hudson is among the return clients. The firm recently turned to Shea for help with its holiday marketing, and Shea developed some window displays.

"We have an ongoing relationship," Joas said. "I don't just consider them business associates; I really consider them friends."

No matter how big or small the project, Shea works tirelessly on every aspect, holding firmly to the philosophy that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

After 30 years in business, the whole of the company's work similarly surpasses the sum of its many projects - a point that isn't lost on Shea. He takes great pride in the role his firm has played in the urbanization of Minneapolis and the broader Twin Cities area.

"We live in this city and work in this city, and we want to help make the city itself a strong, urban space," he said. "I want to see Minneapolis become that shining city on the hill."

http://www.shealink.com/