For the past few months at Elite Custom Builders, we’ve been sharing our top tricks to maintain or buy a home, along with focusing on our custom home building projects.

This week, we realized it’s been too long since we showcased our commercial work — and we’ve been busy. 

Read on for the details of our latest commercial buildout projects.

BONNIE BELLE’S BAKERY
White Oaks, Clarksburg, WV

Our crew really enjoyed this project — and not just because of the cookies and cake! Bonnie Belle’s has been in business for 70 years in Clarksburg, WV, and is a community staple for sweet treats. Located in the White Oaks, Bonnie Belle’s specializes in cakes, cookies, petit fours and cupcakes. 

After a much needed rebranding project led by Trisha Dunn of Dunn Designs and Photography LLC, Bonnie Belle’s was ready to update their physical location. A new logo, website and brand set the stage for a new look in a completely new space — featuring new refrigerated displays to show off the beautiful and delicious treats. Trisha also emphasizes the rich history of this local business with a 36 foot bulkhead wrap that chronicles the story of Bonnie Belle’s from the opening day to present location. 

Elite Custom Builders managed the interior buildout of the new location, taking the interior from a dirt floor to the beautiful high-end interior customers now experience when they visit Bonnie Belle’s. ECB completed the grading for the location, all plumbing work (including under slab plumbing), drywall, painting, electrical work, the drop ceiling and lighting.

Each element of the interior buildout was designed to maximize space, allowing Bonnie Belle’s to have an open feel when customers enter in addition to a spacious work area behind the counter. We selected custom flooring that not only looks great, but is durable and will last. The LED lighting provides a bright, airy light, while the pendant lights above the refrigerated cases add detail and interest to the space. 

Additionally, ECB created a custom work area in the back, complete with custom cabinetry and shelves to give Bonnie Belle’s a functional and beautiful workspace. This custom work area means that the Bonnie Belle’s team can work on multiple orders with ease.

Bonnie Belle’s has been a fantastic project for our team. We are proud to help a local business that has been a community staple for so long. It was also fun for us to complete a commercial buildout project, as our team has been working on so many residential projects lately. 

If you’re visiting Bonnie Belle’s and want to check more work from Elite Custom Builders, visit Cody’s Restaurant or White Oaks Salon.

interior buildout
The interior of Bonnie Belle’s bakery (how good do those cupcakes look?!).

commercial buildout

The bulkhead wrap at Bonnie Belle’s — ECB did the drywall work, drop ceiling and lighting in this photo.

functional workplace

Part of the workspace at Bonnie Belle’s — custom countertops and cabinetry make this space beautiful and functional.

efficient buildout

The main work area at Bonnie Belle’s — plenty of space for everybody to work comfortably and efficiently. ECB created this space with custom shelving and countertops.


CODY’S RESTARAUNT
White Oaks, Bridgeport, WV

Owner Cody Thrasher had a vision for a unique space for his restaurant, utilizing century old beams in the structure of the bar to enhance the overall restaurant design. The restaurant space is functional for employees to operate in efficiently, yet comfortable for patrons to enjoy meals with family and friends. Cody was thrilled with the project, especially as ECB completed the work in under half the estimated time.

OAKS SALON
White Oaks, Bridgeport, WV

This custom interior buildout started with the essentials: plumbing and HVAC. From there, we finished the interior adding custom details, like the marbled cement floors. The result? A high-end feel in a versatile and adaptable space.

Interested in creating a new and unique space for your business? Read on to learn what to look for in a commercial contractor.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COMMERCIAL CONTRACTOR

Hiring a commercial contractor isn’t a one-size fits all process. Different contractors have varying specialities — some will only take ground up projects, while others will take ground up projects and interior buildouts. It’s important that you know what your contractor specializes in before moving forward.

Your commercial contractor will handle multiple aspects of your project, making the process stress-free and enjoyable for you as the business owner or manager. The contractor will handle the permit application process for your building, along with ensuring the project adheres to building codes and zoning regulations. Additionally, your contractor will source all the supplies for your project and manage the design process.

It’s important you trust your commercial contractor and imperative that you see examples of their work. Talk to their former and/or current customers. Visit the businesses they’ve worked on — make sure you like their style and that the work is high quality.


Licensing

Make sure your contractor has the right licenses and insurance for you project. Sometimes, they’ll need to have a bond with them, too. Ask them to verify their licenses and insurance and ensure all are valid and current.


Cost

If you send your project out to bid, you’ll get multiple quotes back from multiple contractors. As you review the bids, make sure you read the details and ask questions. Perhaps one bid comes in slightly higher because that contractor noticed an issue with the space that must be resolved before the work begins. You’ll want to make sure that the work is truly needed — if it is, it may show that one contractor is more diligent than the others.

Also pay attention to bids that are drastically higher or lower than others. Why is this? Maybe the contractor has access to cheaper materials. Perhaps one has more highly trained staff or can complete the job in a short time frame. Always ask. It’s not always a negative, but you need to fully understand each quote.


Experience

Does your first-choice contractor have the experience to complete your specific project? If you’re doing an interior buildout for a restaurant, you will want a contractor who has completed a restaurant project before. Make sure they have years of experience and that their staff are thoroughly trained for the job.


Communication

Pick a contractor who is quick to respond to your emails/calls and is patient with you when you when you ask questions. Make sure they let you know where the project stands and that you know exactly who you can talk to if any issues arise. We also think it’s important that your contractor allows you to visit the job site.


Elite Custom Builders | General Contractor | Bridgeport, WV | Surrounding Areas

Elite Custom Builders has over 70 years of combined experience in North Central West Virginia. Not only do we set the bar, we’re continually raising it — always expecting the best out of our team. We take great pride in what we do and have the experience to take your project from a vision to reality.

Get started by scheduling an appointment!