Food writers can't stop talking about Shea's most recent projects

Lately, Twin Cities food writers are all over the latest Twin Cities hot spots that Shea is proud to include on list of recently completed projects:

Excerpts from METRO magazine:

"Get yourself down to the Guthrie Theater pronto to try out Sea Change. Not only is it featuring the cuisine of the mighty accomplished Tim McKee--he partnered in three other restaurant openings and landed a James Beard award all within the last year--but it features sustainable seafood! The menu recently included grilled octpus with slas verde and Spanish peppers, and sea scallops served with sweet corn, chorizo, jalepeno and lime."

Check out a this video tour with Tim McKee.

"Continue to celebrate Minnesota's short-lived convertible season at the former Wagner's Drive-In. Under new ownership, the neighborhood icon has been given an "intergalactic, retro-futuristic makeover," and a fitting new name: Galaxy Drive In. Try a quarter-pound handcrafted burger with sauteed onions on a butter-grilled bun."

"The food at Pairings Food & Wine Market goes beyond ordinary, with local ingredients and a European-inspired menu and market that includes plenty of gourmet cheeses, meats and breads, We'd like to give a shout out to the Cuban panini, made with shredded pulled pork, smoked ham, sliced pickles, Swiss cheese and a creamy Dijon mayonnaise. What's more, we love that you can buy a bottle of wine in the wine shop, saunter a few steps over to the outdoor patio or cafe seating and open it up right there for the swilling with your lunch."

Excerpts from Mpls.St.Paul magazine's September issue:

First Impressions: Sea Change
"Sea Change, the 'powered by Tim McKee" restaurant at the Guthrie Theater, is open and serving and exotic menu of sustainable seafood. Erik Anderson(ex-Porter & Frye) is the main man in the kitchen....The successor to Cue has been nicely softened with sea green accents and chalkboards. The menu is an amalgam of sustainably sourced (meaning ethically harvested, since the air freighting of fish all over the continent is the antithesis of sustainable) seafood..."

"...Galaxy Drive In is open in the old Wagner's spot on Hwy. 7. New owner Steve Schussler spent a fortune on renovations, and the vibe has changed from seedy to rocket-themed..."

A feature on Stillwater includes:
"All sass and pimento-fired jerk heat, Smalley's Caribbean Barbecue and Pirate Bar (link: smalleysbbq.com) serves up genuine Jamaican chicken, ribs, pulled pork, and beef, plus tender corn fritters and fried green tomatoes. Wash down the food with mojitos or frosty beers from the Pirate Bar."

And in a piece by Andrew Zimmern, he talks about how the economy has challenged our local restaurant scene. He spoke of many closings in the last year, but also spoke of the resilience of the restaurant community in times like this. He wrote with optimism of many restaurants that have opened in the last year or so, including Shea projects Barrio, Brasa (St. Paul), Crave (MOA), Galaxy Drive In and Sea Change. He then wrote about how "things are about to get really exciting" with the opening of many planned restaurants, including Shea projects Crave (St. Louis Park), Loring Kitchen & Bar, and the Lyndale Tap House.

Minnesota Monthly's take on the Galaxy Drive In: click here

Galaxy Drive In grand opening and slide show

Shea was the architect-of-record on the recently opened Galaxy Drive In which is garnering praise for both its reasonably-priced menu and its innovative decor. Below, Ron Ruggless of Nation's Restaurant News Magazine looks at the concept and speaks with Steven Schussler, the visionary behind the venture. The magazine also provided an online slide show of the restaurant:

Rainforest creator Schussler debuts Galaxy Drive In

MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 11, 2009) Steven Schussler, the creative mind behind such eatertainment concepts as Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex and Yak & Yeti at Disney World, has most recently unveiled a project nearly in his backyard here, converting a 1951 neighborhood institution into the Galaxy Drive In.

Click here for a slide show of photos of Galaxy Drive In.

His company, Schussler Creative Inc., which is based in Minneapolis, opened the Galaxy on July 15 after a $850,000 renovation-turned-construction of the former Wagner’s Drive In in his St. Louis Park neighborhood. Schussler said the new teal, purple and pink drive-in is serving 1,200 to 1,300 customers a day and has a check average of about $10.

“We went in with the idea of renovating it,” Schussler said Tuesday, “but we found so much grease and dirt that we decided to just reconstruct it.”

The 550-square-foot project sits on an acre, so Schussler was able to add handicapped-accessible restrooms; menu boards that hang from the drive-in’s roof rather than poles, which are often hit by cars; fire pits; sculptures; and a human-sized chess set for entertainment.

Galaxy Drive In was created as a part of Schussler Creative’s two-year partnership with RED Development, the shopping mall developer based in Kansas City, Mo.

The property, which Schussler said is about five blocks from his own home, also has as area set aside for curbing pets and special menu treats for “four-legged friends.” Those include dog-bone treats for $1 and Doggie Mini Burgers for $2.25.

The most popular menu item in the past month, he added, has been the quarter-pound Angus “Earthling Burger” with onions and pickles for $3.85. The menu also features root-beer floats for $3.75; the Lunar Eclipse grilled cheese sandwich for $2.75; the Cosmic Chicken Dinner, a quarter chicken with fries and slaw for $7.57; and a Galaxy Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich for $4.89.

A $10 S’Mores Kit, which “serves four to six earthlings,” comes in a plastic tube with sticks, chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers, including directions and food history, so guests can make their own at the on-property fire pits, Schussler said.

Shea Ranks Among Nation's Top 200 Design Firms

Each year, Interior Design magazine surveys the nation's design firms to get a financial snapshot of the industry. For several years, Shea, Inc. has ranked in the Top 200 based on fees, and this year is no different, despite the economy. This year's survey reveals some interesting results stemming from the global economic crisis, but it also shows some positive signs of continuing growth in some industry segments. Read on for the article from Interior Design and click here for the full listing of the Top 200.

Some Surprising Results: Giants 200
by Judith Davidsen -- Interior Design magazine, 7/1/2009

This is the world that was: In 2008, the second 100 Interior Design Giants earned a grand total of $452,826,937, slicing a 6 percent increase out of an otherwise unappetizing economic pie. Each interior design employee was responsible for an average $194,112 of work, with a minimum of $25,419 and a maximum of $837,500. A total of 195,565,816 square feet of projects, encompassing $11,758,712,354 of materials installed, resulted in 2 and 15 percent increases, respectively.

However, in the months between the second 100 Giants' completion of our annual survey and our sitting down to report the results, the world reeled from one financial crisis to another. Data for last year remains as valid as ever, of course, but that did nothing to allay our anxiety about what had been happening to designers and their clients in the interim. Fortunately, almost half the second 100 Giants—pretty evenly distributed among the rankings—volunteered to let us in on the complex, sometimes contradictory, invariably surprising goings-on.

First of all, a big sigh of relief. This group experienced postponements and cancellations of projects worth total fees of $27,978,727 but brought in projects paying $30,627,252. That's ahead of the game by almost 10 percent. Some of the numbers are extraordinary. One firm lost $50,000 in fees while gaining close to $2 million. Although 17 firms gained less than they lost, nine suffered no losses at all. Since jobs are not measured by square footage in every interiors category, hospitality being a major example, only 28 firms were able give us an idea of space involved: 16,600,000 square feet lost but just 12,961,638 gained. Whatever else the current adversity does, it's had the second 100 Giants, as a whole, earning 39.6 percent more per square foot than they were before.

Hospitality suffered the worst damage, with hotels bearing half the brunt. Office work came next. It may seem strange that offices were also the least hurt. In an economic crisis, however, it's normal for interiors firms to be hired to reconfigure spaces for downsized staff, and 22 of our respondents have already engaged in this activity. It's also normal for this extra work to be handled by reduced design staffs—reduced by 12.7 percent in the case of the second 100 Giants. We've been warned that six months will pass at the very least before staffing returns to civilized levels. In the meantime, firms will probably hire independent contractors rather than a salaried workforce.

Growth actually occurred in health care and government, followed by the office and sustainability categories. Almost twice as many firms thought overseas prospects better than domestic. Still, one firm declared Russia and the United Arab Emirates to be "disasters." More than half believed that, despite the economy, opportunities for green design would continue to grow, both to save clients money down the line and to head off potential government regulation; 23 percent felt the green market would contract; 17 percent thought it would remain flat for the duration. Some expect to benefit from government stimulus involving the greening of public buildings; a smaller group was unsure. But, as one respondent put it, "While we may not directly benefit, more dollars in the market can't hurt." Seeing where growth might be possible is the sort of ability that will maintain our profession and ultimately help it thrive.

Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine reviews Pairings

Pairings Food and Wine Market, one of Shea's recent offerings in Minnetonka, is open for business and serving a wide variety of fresh food and drink. MspMag.com takes a moment to comment on what they found during a recent visit there:

$10-15 | Deli/American
Calling itself a food and wine market, Pairings serves up Euro-influenced fare available as deli-case pick up or as ordered from a fresh changing menu. Besides pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches, you can also get cut-to-order cheeses, artisinal salumi, or wine from the adjacent store.

6001 Shady Oak Rd.
Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343
Phone: 952-426-0522
http://www.pairingsfoodandwine.com/