In today’s fast-paced market, quick-service restaurants must modernize operations and meet evolving consumer demands while managing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of locations. The pressure to meet consumer expectations for speed, accuracy, and convenience has only heightened in an era where every second and dollar counts. This challenge requires a precise and scalable approach that balances innovation with efficiency. Enter tools like reality capture and Building Information Modeling (BIM), a transformative combination that revolutionizes how multi-site brands approach modernization.
“Restaurants are often tasked with expanding operations, modernizing existing portfolios, or adapting to new service initiatives like delivery and drive-thru, all while maintaining the same staffing levels,” says Joe Collins, senior vice president of operations at Sevan Multi-Site Solutions (Sevan), which has been at the forefront of helping iconic quick-service restaurant brands like Chipotle, Whataburger, Starbucks, and McDonald’s scale their renovation efforts. Restaurant operators increasingly turn to smart solutions like reality capture and BIM to keep pace with industry demands and remain competitive. “Reality capture and BIM technologies allow us to do in days what once took weeks,” Collins says. “It’s not just about capturing data—it’s about leveraging that data to drive smarter decisions and achieve faster, more consistent results across every site.”
Reality capture and BIM technologies enable quick-service restaurant brands to streamline large-scale programs by providing accurate, real-time data for hundreds of locations. Combining the precision of reality capture with the powerful visualization capabilities of BIM delivers highly detailed “digital twins” of each site. “For brands managing extensive portfolios, reality capture and BIM tools ensure every site’s unique conditions are accounted for,” explains Nick Peters, senior vice president of operations at Sevan. “This level of accuracy minimizes costly errors and drives faster decision-making—key for scaling modernization efforts efficiently.”
Traditional archive “as-built” documents often fail to reflect actual site conditions, leading to delays and costly errors. Smart solutions like reality capture and BIM solve this problem by quickly collecting accurate spatial and visual data to deliver Lidar-based point clouds, existing conditions drawings, 360-degree virtual tours, and building condition assessments. This replaces outdated documents with precise digital twins, creating a reliable foundation for design, permitting, and construction. Using Sevan’s accurate technology and techniques is critical because errors in the early stages of a project can compound later, leading to wasted time and money. Worse, it can disrupt the customer experience—a top priority for Sevan’s clients. During a nationwide quick-service restaurant modernization effort for one of the world’s largest brands, Sevan’s use of reality capture and BIM technologies enabled surveying over 650 locations in just six months—a fraction of the time traditional methods would require. This efficiency allowed the brand to redirect valuable resources to other areas of their business.
By centralizing all site data into a single source of truth, reality capture and BIM tools allow brands to make informed decisions, reduce redundant site visits, and ensure project consistency. “Using tools like 3D laser scanners, drones, and 360-degree cameras, we collect comprehensive data quickly,” says Jason Gray, director of operations for the reality capture and BIM services team at Sevan. “This allows us to create highly detailed floor plans, virtual walkthroughs, and condition assessments—all of which support accurate and efficient project planning.”
Modernizing quick-service restaurant spaces often involves implementing features like dual-lane drive-thrus, mobile order pickup zones, and expanded kitchen layouts—initiatives that require quick turnaround times and minimal disruption. Reality capture and BIM technologies enable teams to accelerate timelines, improve accuracy, and enhance collaboration. Stakeholders can remotely review virtual walkthroughs and detailed models, streamlining scoping, permitting, and project planning. “Errors in early stages compound later, leading to wasted time and money,” Peters says. “Reality capture and BIM tools eliminate these risks, allowing our clients to focus on delivering exceptional service to their customers.”
For example, one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant brands partnered with Sevan to modernize over 650 locations, prioritizing mobile ordering, delivery, and expanded drive-thru capabilities. Using reality capture and BIM smart solutions, each location was documented with digital twins, enabling virtual scoping meetings, centralized data sharing, and seamless collaboration. Planning timelines were reduced by 75 percent, saving millions in costs, and construction change orders were cut by 70 percent. The program was completed ahead of schedule, boosting customer satisfaction and sales.
Sevan’s extensive portfolio also includes partnerships with Whataburger which started working with Sevan through its franchisees in 2022. “We quickly noticed how successful they were in supporting our teams,” says Clint Saavedra, director of franchise and design development for Whataburger. “What truly stood out to us was Sevan’s genuine interest in understanding our brand and goals. They took the time to have meaningful conversations about how they could best support us, whether through value engineering or finding innovative ways to address our unique needs. That level of collaboration and commitment is rare, and it’s why they’ve become such a trusted partner for us.”
Robin King, a long-time executive for several quick-service restaurant brands, highlights how reality capture and BIM smart solutions facilitate cross-functional collaboration. “The current technology produces a product that is not only useful to architects and engineers in assessing current conditions to accurately design the spaces but is also useful to other disciplines such as operations, marketing, and technology in their endeavors to have input to those designs.”
As quick-service restaurant brands continue to adapt to shifting consumer demands, reality capture and BIM tools offer a proven path forward. By combining the precision of reality capture with the visualization power of BIM, multi-site operators can confidently scale their programs, achieving faster timelines, reduced costs, and measurable ROI. Sevan’s role in advancing reality capture and BIM technology and managing large-scale programs has positioned it as a leader in the industry, earning the trust of world-renowned brands like Starbucks, Chipotle, and McDonald’s with thousands of locations worldwide.
Explore how Sevan has completed over 15,000 surveys using reality capture and BIM technologies. Learn more about the impact on operational efficiency and ROI for quick-service restaurants at Sevan’s website.
