Designing for Convenience on the Customer’s Terms
How Checkers & Rally’s and Imagine Are Modernizing a QSR Icon Without Losing What Makes It Iconic
At SHOP! Marketplace, a dynamic discussion led by Andy House brought together leaders at the intersection of brand, design, and operations: David Milne, formerly of Inspire Brands; Paul Gresham, Architect & Managing Principal at Jefferson Browne Architecture; and Chris Tebben, CEO & President of Checkers & Rally’s Drive‑In Restaurants.
Throughout the session, one theme emerged clearly: convenience is no longer something brands define internally, it’s something customers decide in real time. For Checkers & Rally’s, that realization is driving not just strategic shifts, but a fundamental rethink of how restaurants are designed, experienced, and scaled.
Rethinking Convenience Begins with Rethinking Assumptions
Checkers & Rally’s was built on convenience long before it became an industry buzzword.
“Because of how we grew up as a brand, we defined convenience as double drive‑thru, fast service out the window,” Tebben said.
“And yes, we need to be super, super good at that—but we need to redefine convenience on the customer’s terms.”
That reframing became a guiding principle in Imagine’s work with the brand. Instead of asking how do we update the building, the teams asked deeper questions:
How do guests move today?
Where do they hesitate?
What feels intuitive, and what doesn’t?
It also required a different approach to how design teams work together. As Paul Gresham emphasized during the session, the most effective outcomes happen when collaborations starts earlier.
“If you're in a design team or leading design for any brand, how you collaborate early is really key,” Gresham noted. “So many times, brands will throw it over the wall to development… with great graphics and ideas, but without fully thinking through how it all comes together in execution.”
That alignment between brand, design, and development from the outset helped ensure that the ideas shaping Checkers & Rally’s evolution weren’t just visually compelling, but operationally sound and ready to scale.
Those questions exposed the reality of a multi‑channel business. From proximity and visibility to off‑premise formats like sports venues, convenience now shows up in many forms. And as Tebben made clear, resisting that complexity isn’t an option.
“If you don’t want to figure that out and solve that, then get out of the business—because that’s where the consumer is.”
Dialing Up What Matters Most
Instead of softening the brand to appeal broadly, Checkers & Rally’s and Imagine made a deliberate choice to lean in.
“That bold red—we shouldn’t shy away from that. We should own it,” Tebben said.
“The checkerboard pattern jumps out at you. So let’s modernize it, not minimize it.”
This clarity extends across every touchpoint where the brand shows up. As David Milne noted during the session, consistency is experiential.
“They’re trying to get a seamless brand experience, whether you’re on the app, whether you’re ordering online or, if you’re actually walking into the store—there’s a familiarity about it. And I think that with all brands, that's what they're trying to do.”
For Checkers & Rally’s, that meant ensuring the same bold, recognizable cues translated across channels. Late night, long a core strength of the brand, became another critical lens in the design process. Many locations stay open until 3 or 4 a.m., meaning the restaurant has to perform visually when competitors fade into the background.
“I kept pounding the table like, ‘What’s the lighting package?’ Because it has to sing at night just as much as it does during the day.”
That insistence shaped design decisions—from exterior visibility to the way remodeled stores announce themselves after dark. Early results suggest the focus is paying off.
We only have a couple on the ground so far, but I’m really proud of how the remodeled stores are showing up at night.”
From Insight to Execution: Designing for How Guests Actually Move
These weren’t abstract discussions. In partnership with Imagine, Tebben’s team translated this thinking into a new restaurant concept grounded in real behavior. Together, the teams studied customer flow, ordering patterns, and moments of friction to understand how guests actually experience the brand.
Importantly, the design was built to scale. It works for both existing restaurants and new builds, allowing the brand to move quickly and consistently. The first location featuring the new concept opened in Apopka, Florida, serving as the foundation for future rollouts as the brand looks toward growth in 2026 and beyond.
The Takeaway
The Checkers & Rally’s evolution isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about aligning brand truth, customer behavior, and design discipline—while having the confidence to commit.
“Lean into what you have the right to be famous for,” Tebben said.
“Modernize it—but dial it up.”
By partnering closely, challenging assumptions, and focusing relentlessly on the customer’s definition of convenience, Checkers & Rally’s and Imagine are proving that modernization doesn’t mean leaving your identity behind. It means sharpening it so it shows up clearly, consistently, and confidently at every touchpoint.
About Imagine
A trusted partner to the world’s most successful brands, Imagine designs, produces, and delivers beautifully crafted print and digital solutions that inspire action and get results. From concept to consumer, our end-to-end solutions include agency-level creative, pre-media, commercial print, store signage, specialty packaging, permanent fixtures, retail environments, out-of-home, fulfillment, and kitting. Imagine combines the customer technology of Dotti—a versatile platform powered to handle even the most complex in-store marketing programs—with Imagine Studio's award-winning design expertise, powered by top-tier print and digital production capabilities. Learn more at theimaginegroup.com or moagency.com.
