OUR SUCCESS IS OUR CLIENTS’ SUCCESS

D and E’s many years of expertise in the industry allows us to navigate project challenges with confidence. Starting off as an idea born out of a spare bedroom and a sole proprietorship, we now get to serve well-established clients nationwide. Our comprehensive approach enables us to be a one-stop, multi-disciplined partner for companies who need to consistently design and implement developments across multiple locations. We pride ourselves on working closely with our clients to ensure the most time-efficient and cost-effective solution for each project, which has been our goal since day one.

  • logo cracker barrel
  • logo buffalo wild wings
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  • 05 Dunkin
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  • 07 Rusty Taco
  • 08 Nacho Daddy
  • 09 Hello Hilo
  • 10 Bojangles
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  • 12 verizon
  • 13 Zaxbys
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  • 15 jim n nicks logo
  • 16 Fainting Goat Logo
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  • 18 Logan s Roadhouse
  • 19 D1 Logo
  • 20 Taziki s Logo
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  • 23 Demos
  • 24 First Watch scaled
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  • 27 Caliber Collision Logo
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OUR PHILOSPHY

Our philosophy is simple: we put our clients first and believe the best creative solutions are practical. We are characterized by balance, innovation, expertise, practicality, and approachability.

OUR CORE VALUES

OUR CLIENTS’
SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS.

We believe that the secret to our longevity relates back to our core doctrine: focus on our clients’ success. Our full service approach sets up our clients’ for success.

THE BEST CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ARE PRACTICAL.

The D and E x-factor is our ability to utilize both design and engineering to develop achievable creative solutions by practical and efficient means.

SEAMLESS EXECUTION REQUIRES TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION.

D and E is able to develop designs that can be executed across multiple locations from start to finish very efficiently. How? Due to our clear and timely communication between consultants, vendors and clients.

OUR TIMELINE

  • MicrosoftTeams image (47) 1978

    D AND E IS FOUNDED

    Jim Craig started the company in May of 1978 in a spare bedroom of his house. After spending several years in charge of the design department at Coronada, gaining invaluable experience and industry knowledge as he witnessed jobs progress on-site, Jim got his professional license and began a sole proprietorship.

  • WESTEND 1982

    OUR FIRST OFFICE

    Jim soon decided that it was time to expand and add employees, which included the hire of the firm’s first project coordinator to assist with project permitting and serve as the office receptionist. At this point, D and E opened its first office off West End Ave. near midtown Nashville.

  • 1 Hillsboro 1985

    GREEN HILLS OFFICE

    D and E moved office spaces again to Green Hills as the company expanded to include additional employees. At this point in our history, the focus was still on structural engineering and site design.

  • 2 jamestown 1992

    ARCHITECTURAL SERVICE OFFERING & RELOCATING TO BRENTWOOD

    In the early 90’s, Jim realized that working with various architects added a lot of complexity to the projects and made the decision to bring the service in-house. Colleen Atwood joined the firm and began our architectural department. We were then able to provide a full-development suite of services, and moved office locations once again to Brentwood.

  • 3 maryland way 1998

    MARYLAND WAY OFFICE

    This next office move was a significant milestone for D and E as we designed the entire office building, including our tenant space. The company continued to grow as we had added additional services for our clients.

  • 4 westgate 2009

    EXPANDING OUR CLIENT BASE & MOVING TO COOL SPRINGS

    The late 2000’s marks the time when we started to work with Buffalo Wild Wings and continued to expand our clientele. We realized that the services we provided could be of benefit to a wider variety of clients, and thus began to grow into new markets. D and E moved from Maryland Farms to Cool Springs, where we converted a former restaurant to our new office space.

  • IMG 2984 2013

    INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE OFFERING

    D and E incorporated Interior Design into our services in the early 2010’s. This allowed us to focus on developing and sourcing interior finishes and fixtures for all of our projects.

  • McEwen Development 2021

    NEW LEADERSHIP & MOVING TO MCEWEN

    After 43 years of company leadership, Jim Craig accepted a new role as Founder while Ryan Nicholson stepped into the position of President of D and E. At the same time, we upgraded to a Class A office space in a vibrant urban community where we continue to grow as an organization.

AWARDS

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Corporate Design Award for Excellence by Buffalo Wild Wings
2015

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Nominated for Restaurant Design in the Southeast Region by Restaurant and Bar Awards
2021

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Cracker Barrel – Appreciation Award for Service over the Past 30 Years

TESTIMONIALS

Unlike other firms, D and E brings a unique blend of creative vision and technical proficiency to the table. Their commitment to understanding our specific needs and delivering tailored solutions demonstrates a level of dedication that’s hard to find elsewhere. They treat us more like friends and family than a design and engineering firm.

Leigh Anne Balsman, Bricktop’s

By leveraging the expertise and resources of D and E, we have been able to tackle complex design challenges with confidence. Our experience working with them has been nothing short of exceptional. D and E has consistently exceeded our expectations. By collaborating with D and E, we have been able to elevate our brand reputation and expand our portfolio of successful projects.

Jonathan Sisco, Director of Development for Bluemont Group, LLC.

Early on, D and E’s team demonstrated exceptional architectural and project management skills…and we continue to be impressed as we go along. The folks at D and E are creative, collaborative, organized, knowledgeable, and very experienced…and we look forward to doing many more projects together!

West End Restaurants

I have been working with D and E’s team the last ten years on our projects. Their Preliminary Site Assessment report is invaluable to itemize costs and permit items associated with a specific municipality. I continue to use the D and E team with success and would recommend them to an investor or owner who wants an exciting and efficient project.

Toby Rumbarger, Managing Partner for Heritage Construction and Development, exclusive Owner’s Representative for the Fresh Capital & Hospitality Group

Being a generally cynical person, I was very skeptical trying a new architectural and design firm. This process was extremely smooth to their questions and details. They were easy to work with to make changes that we had and were able to explain away things that I thought I did not like but ended up loving.

Peter Demos, President of Demos’ Restaurants
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WORK WITH US

With a focus on both professional excellence and cultivating a fun atmosphere, D and E fosters a dynamic environment that makes work enjoyable. If you’re looking to work for a well-established design firm where your skills are valued and you can have a great time doing what you love, inquire about joining our team.

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