Commercial Door Project - Dave's BBQ Bar

Cornell Rolling Grilles Help Dave’s BBQ Bar Make Its Walls Disappear

Rolling Grilles Transform Open-Air Pavilion into Cozy Dining Spot

When Dave Fisher, owner of Dave’s Diner in Middleborough, Mass., decided to expand his dining options to include barbecue, he had a clear vision for how he wanted to proceed. When the diner closed after serving breakfast and lunch, Dave’s BBQ Bar would open on the same property – and Dave wanted this hangout to be truly open. The goal was to create an open-air pavilion where diners could feel as though they were out on the back deck, but with the option of closing up the walls when the weather demanded it.

What was less clear was how to achieve this open-air vision. Dave had seen sectional glass doors in other New England eateries, but even when open, that style of door seemed always to be visible. And the tilt-up style of garage door, which was gaining popularity in the restaurant industry, would interfere with the plan for ceiling lighting and television installations at Dave’s BBQ. To figure out how to make his walls fully disappear when not in use, Dave reached out to Jay Delaplain, president of HQI Door Co.

Based in Raynham, Mass., HQI has served customers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut since 2008. Better still, Jay had a perfect option for Dave’s BBQ Bar that was even closer than Dave might ever have expected.

“We have a Cornell VistaGard™ rolling security grille in our office separating our warehouse and our dispatch area,” Jay recalls. “Dave asked me if I knew anything that would work, and this door was right next to us. I said, ‘You know, I think this will be perfect for you."

HQI and Cornell Target Precise Customization and Invisible Operation

Dave agreed that VistaGard ESG11 would be the perfect fit. The durable steel grille, glazed with Lexan polycarbonate, serves as a weathertight theft deterrent. The curtain rolls up for storage in a tight overhead curve. Better still, Cornell makes the product easily customizable.

This last point was particularly important, Jay found, as he began working with Dave’s architect to create a seamless design. The plan was to install the grille guides on the 6- by 6-foot steel pillars supporting the roof. The goal was to keep framing minimal, so as not to widen the columns. “That’s what made them such a difficult install, but also what makes it look so amazing,” Jay says.

HQI worked with Cornell to customize 12 separate doors, all measuring between 10 to 13 feet wide by 12 to 13 feet tall. Doors at the corners vary in height, in order to prevent conflicts from headers installed too close together. “Because the doors were all custom sizes, we had to go through engineering two or three times to make sure we got things right. We were down to the ¼-inch – that’s how precise we got with them,” Jay says. “Cornell was great about revising

drawings and working with the customization of the mechanisms to make sure they were all right.”

None of this tricky customization – or the mechanisms that operate the door – are visible to diners. Motors, charge wheels, and other mechanical components are covered by a custom hood that HQI’s lead installer modified to create the appearance of a single continuous aluminum box.

“Everything is concealed,” Jay says. “If you didn’t know the doors were there, you would think it’s just a soffit up there.”

Custom Controls Keep Access Easy and Wiring Concealed

Bringing this open-air illusion to life took three installers two weeks of onsite work. The result, Jay says, is a seamless installation for the largest garage door project he’s completed for a restaurant in his two-plus decades of working in the industry.

Today, bartenders at Dave’s BBQ Bar can easily control every door at the first threat of rain or when closing up for the night. A custom bank of controls sits directly behind the bar, its wiring as hidden as every other part of the installation. Thanks to HQI’s attention to detail, and architectural design support by Cornell, Dave is able to keep his BBQ inviting even when the weather isn’t.