Assignment 3: Heather Miller

America's commercial strips have begun to decline in importance due to the spread and popularity of large malls and the change in the flow of traffic that resulted. The buildings that made up these strips have in many cases been abandoned by the chain restaurants that once occupied them, however these buildings do not sit empty. These building have become a source of recycling and adaptation by new, often times, local tenants. While these buildings have new owners, names, and products, they often do not have new designs of the exterior of the building. The designs of many early chain restaurants were fairly standardized and, today, are easily recognizable to the American public.

A recent trip down Candler Road led me to a number of these buildings within the span of only a few miles. Homebox Restaurants has taken up residence in what appears to have once been a McDonald's. The drive-thru window has been boarded up and the usual hustle and bustle of a fast food restaurant has been replaced by the slower pace of a sit-down, diner style restaurant.

A more unusual reuse is this Athlete's Foot occupying an old Waffle House. This building is quite different from its original use now with no kitchens or dining customers. The tables have been replaced with racks of sportswear and shoes.


Finally this W.K. Wings now resides in a recycled Checkers building. It functions similarly to the Checkers, probably in a large part due to the building's design. It would be hard to keep this design and have a sit-down restaurant!