Comfort Cookin'

Unlike its big box competitors, Alberta’s beloved Freson Bros. allowed Shook Kelley (Charlotte, N.C.) to design an open-concept for the grocer comprising a series of shops-in-shop and distinctive product destinations. Designs were based mainly on the clients’ history as butchers, their sense of humor and quirky style, as well as the idea of community and interaction. For example, the store features an in-house smokehouse (affectionately named Banj’s Red Hot Smoke House after the clients’ notable relative), a popular way of curing meats in the northern Canadian province.

“Smokehouses are a really a big thing in Alberta. Freson Bros. started as a butcher shop, so meat is really important to them. These smokehouses were hidden in the back of the butcher department,” says Michael Powell, cultural anthropologist, brand strategy, Shook Kelley. “It was something the clients already had – a value that they were already offering – but they just weren’t telling the story or making it known.”

Other touches include the Root Cellar which serves a functional purpose: the area was designed with darker colors and lighting, creating a cool area to preserve product freshness. A dining area with a fireplace encompasses warming woods and decorated, eclectic wallpaper, showcasing graphics of plates and saucers; while various product sections house personalized signage and graphics.

In the end, Freson Bros. simply reflects the family working behind the scenes: comical and fun but still familiar and comfortable.