SWINERTON COMPLETES OVER $5 MILLION RESTAURANT BUILDS FOR RARE ROOTS HOSPITALITY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Swinerton, an industry-leading commercial general contractor with offices nationwide, completed construction on the restaurant Fin + Fino for an on-time grand opening earlier this year, marking the completion of over $5 million of restaurant builds for Rare Roots Hospitality (Rare Roots) in the last year. The second location for this dining concept, the seafood house is the seventh restaurant that Swinerton has built for restaurateur Jon Dressler, Founder and Owner of Rare Roots. Swinerton also recently completed Chapter 6 on the ground floor of The Line in Charlotte. 

“It has been more than 15 years since Jon and I launched our history of restaurant builds, and he’s continued to elevate the dining experience with each concept, always pushing the envelope with complexity and sophistication,” explains Jason Hlewicki, Director of Special Projects for Swinerton’s Carolinas Division. “Jon knows that having Swinerton around the table from the beginning lays the groundwork for a much more expeditious and efficient construction process. Although each project presents unique challenges, our design-assist platform unravels them pretty quickly.” 

Fin + Fino is located in Birkdale Village in Huntersville, NC, north of Charlotte, which once housed the original location of Dressler’s, another Rare Roots restaurant. Dressler’s, open for two decades, closed in September 2023 to prepare for the conversion to Fin + Fino. The $1.3 million construction project includes the renovation of the commercial kitchen, demolition and construction of the bar, creating an open concept dining area with banquette seating and remodeling of the bathrooms. The sophisticated décor, with an ocean and maritime theme, celebrates the explorer’s mindset and the sailor’s heart. A waterfall feature separates the main dining room from the bar where the tile design is inspired by mermaids and light fixtures are dressed with seashells to capture the Mediterranean.  

“Jon is always innovating,” says Hlewicki. “This location is a big step up from the original Fin + Fino in terms of architectural features and interior design.” 

The completion of Fin + Fino comes on the heels of Swinerton’s completion of Rare Roots’ Chapter 6 in Charlotte’s South End. This $3.4 million project was completed in eight months, finishing a week ahead of an ambitious schedule.  As general contractor, Swinerton managed the renovation of the 8,000-square foot restaurant, located on the ground floor of The Line, a high-concept office tower.  

Chapter 6 serves Western Mediterranean fare in a sleek, modern space conducive to social gatherings. Swinerton facilitated the renovation of the commercial kitchen and remodeling of the bathrooms. The original bar was removed to create an open-concept restaurant with seating areas in the main dining area, lounge, bar and an expansive patio. A state-of-the-art kitchen with a chef’s table puts guests at the forefront of the live-action kitchen. This restaurant showcases a Mediterranean-influenced design with basket-shade light fixtures and illuminated wall niches displaying ceramics, glassware and other artisanal objects. A tiled mural highlights the six Mediterranean countries that inspired the restaurant concept, featuring stones sourced from each country. 

Swinerton also upgraded Rare Roots’ Joan’s Bakery & Deli that makes the breads and pastries for the company’s restaurant group and offers grab-and-go food for walk-up patrons. This half-million dollar project was completed in December. Swinerton led the renovation of the 1,000-square foot space, installing a full commercial kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a new commercial cooler and other state-of-the-art kitchen equipment. The renovation also added an inviting point-of-sale space, display cases for baked goods and an ordering counter. Exterior signage and branding features completed the manufacturing and retail outlet. 

“The Swinerton team has consistently delivered results above and beyond my expectations when it came to quality, schedule and budget, which is why Swinerton has been by my side with these restaurant endeavors,” says Dressler. “They clearly think about building relationships and not just projects, so their attention to detail, clear communications and problem solving bring a higher level of service that you wouldn’t typically expect in the construction industry. I’m happy to call them a trusted partner!” 

Founded by Jon and Kim Dressler, Rare Roots is one of Charlotte’s leading restaurant groups. In addition to Fin +Fino, Chapter 6 and Joan’s Bakery & Deli, the group owns and operates Dressler’s, The Porter’s House and Dressler’s Improv Kitchen at Middle C Jazz. 

Since expanding to the Southeast in 2018, the Carolinas Division has constructed nearly $400 million of commercial environments. The dedicated team of 90 construction leaders specializes in corporate interiors and buildings, healthcare, education, restaurants and hospitality, multifamily and mass timber construction. 

About Swinerton 

Swinerton provides commercial construction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services throughout the United States. Founded in 1888, Swinerton is 100% employee-owned and is the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market it serves—proudly leading with ownership, integrity, passion, and excellence. Swinerton has 21 nationwide offices in Spokane and Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Boise, ID; Sacramento, Fresno, Concord, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Diego, CA; Honolulu, HI; Denver, CO; Dallas and Austin, TX; Atlanta, GA; Charlotte and Raleigh, NC; and New York, NY. For more information, please visit swinerton.com.