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MINNEAPOLIS – (BUSINESS WIRE) – In a first-of-its-kind partnership that unites design, manufacture and engineering, Vertical Works brings together Minneapolis-based designers from WORKSHOP, PD Instore and Engelsma Construction to create industry-leading solutions for the fast food, healthcare, retail and beyond. With decades of diverse experience working with top brands such as Google, Apple and Target, the Vertical Works team brings a brand new approach to solving design and construction challenges.

Introduction of Hi-Top ™

The founders of Vertical Works believe that fear of execution shouldn’t get in the way of transformative ideas. To that end, they recently introduced Hi-Top ™ – a proprietary new retail concept that combines the best of in-store shopping, home delivery and traditional transit to create a brand new way of shopping. By stacking operations through pickup aisles and delivering retail goods and groceries through an elevator system, Hi-Top creates a safe, efficient, and memorable consumer experience. The Hi-Top concept also addresses many of the challenges of current in-store pickup, home delivery and traditional transit models.

Taco Bell Defy

The new Taco Bell Defy – a brand new restaurant concept from Taco Bell – is slated to open in the summer of 2022 and will feature design and technology licensed by Vertical Works. Taco Bell Defy reinvents the traditional drive-thru experience to offer the convenience of fast food without many of the hassles of traditional drive-thru. The new Taco Bell Defy will have a raised kitchen where food will be delivered to customers contactlessly via a proprietary elevator system. In addition, multiple drive-through lanes – paired with built-in e-commerce channels – will eliminate long lines of cars, and lanes dedicated to pick-up and delivery services will ensure groceries are delivered to customers as quickly as possible.

“Vertical Works has helped us bring design and technology together to create the fast food restaurant of the future,” said Lee Engler, CEO of Border Foods – one of the largest Taco Bell franchisees in the country. “The unique design of Taco Bell Defy will allow us to serve significantly more customers with a smaller footprint or the same size as our existing stores, all with the security and convenience that today’s consumers expect.”

Understand today’s consumer

“The Vertical Works team has over 20 years of retail industry experience and we understand – and are at the forefront – of changing consumer needs. We work with our partners to develop innovative solutions that lead rather than follow industry trends, ”said Mike Strommen, Co-Founder of Vertical Works and CEO of PD Instore.

“By reimagining traditional retail and fast food experiences, we can create new solutions that better meet the needs of today’s consumers,” said Josh Hanson, co-founder of Vertical Works and WORKSHOP. “Shopping, returns, food deliveries and more can become faster and easier while increasing the profitability of the branches.”

About Vertical Works Inc.

Vertical Works is a consultancy for disruptive solutions run by designers and creators from WORKSHOP, PD Instore and Engelsma Construction. Vertical Works brings together design, manufacture and engineering to design and build industry-leading solutions for the fast food restaurant, retail, healthcare and beyond.

Via PD Instore

Limited only by the dreams of big brands, PD Instore is uniquely equipped to design, manufacture, logistics and install displays, furnishings and complete retail environments as well as creative and mechanical design, printing (litho, screen, die-sub & digital) with almost anyone imaginable material – which enables agile solutions that are scalable for every scenario. As a front-end partner, PD finds the most cost-effective and feasible solutions to connect the world’s leading brands with buyers.

About WORKSHOP®

WORKSHOP is a design consulting studio that creates what’s next. We advance with curiosity, a willingness to experiment and iterative thinking. We work with visionaries, industry leaders and people who want to achieve more with us. Our services include strategic alignment & creative conception, retail & experience design, digital marketing, web design & user experience and much more.