Rowdy Sports Pub Installs Restroom Partitions That Hang Tough

Over the past 20 years, the Hal Smith Group, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma, has rapidly grown from a few burger joints to an expanding management organization, with nearly 60 restaurants under 14 separately-themed concepts. Serving thousands daily across seven Midwestern states, each location provides top-notch service and food ranging from high-end steaks and burgers to Mexican, seafood, and everything in between.

The restaurants recently went through upgrades at several locations to reduce maintenance and repairs and create a cleaner, more contemporary look and feel. Featuring the “Big Lou Cheeseburger as America’s best,” Louie’s is a chain of American-fare grill and pub serving mid-priced food and beverages in a casual atmosphere. The neighborhood restaurant is a great place to unwind with friends and family in front of flat screen televisions playing your favorite sporting events. The other chain of pubs is known as The Garage, described by management as a place for fun, with more than fifteen TVs showing favorite old movies or sports as patrons enjoy food or drink. Skeeball, pinball and video games also accent an atmosphere drenched in a hodgepodge of eclectic décor.

“Both restaurants are local hotspots in their cities,” says Kevin Mendel, project manager at Construction Building Specialties, Inc., which for nearly 50 years has specialized in the installation of commercial doors and hardware in Oklahoma and surrounding states. “They are great for socializing and having a good time, but, the sports crowd can get rowdy.” He said this was especially true for the Louie’s in Norman, Okla. across from Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the home of the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

“Management was in here after game days to assess the damage and order parts that needed to be replaced for metal bathroom partitions that were either badly damaged or ripped from their hinges,” said Mendel. “It became a Monday morning ritual during the course of the season.”

That was until Mendel recommended the installation of Resistall bathroom partitions from Scranton Products. Over the past 25 years, Scranton Products has been a leading provider of unique and attractive interior HDPE partitions offered in a variety of colors and textures. In an orange peel texture and four popular colors, Resistall partitions also stand tough over time. Unlike metal partitions, they are impermeable to moisture, will never rust or need painting, do not delaminate and are built to resist mildew, odors, corrosion and dents, saving the added costs of maintenance. They are also very hygienic and resist bacteria more than other materials.

“They work beautifully,” said Mendel. “Since Resistall was installed in the Louie’s location several years ago, their maintenance time and costs have gone way down. It’s amazing how these partitions absorb the punishment, while the others just buckle under. Everyone from management, to workers to customers are very impressed with the new partitions.”

As a result, the Hal Smith Group has since installed Resistall partitions with a black finish in 15 separate Louie’s and The Garage restaurants located throughout the local area including Oklahoma City, Moore, Norman, Stillwater and Tulsa. The company has also specified Resistall for use in all new construction of these bar and grills.

“We really love the Resistall product because they’ve proven to be ultra-durable,” said Brandon Kistler, general manager of the Hal Smith Restaurant Group. “They’ve really held up well in all of our locations and are easy to clean. In fact, they are so low maintenance, we don’t even think about them anymore, which is a tremendous relief after having had so many problems in the past.”

Kistler also mentioned that as a further test case for their rugged durability, one Louie’s location has a pool hall adjoined to the restaurant. “They share the same set of restrooms and the stalls used to take quite a beating. Those days ended when Resistall was installed,” he said.

Resistall Partitions are specially engineered for price-conscious customers looking to combine the easy installation of plastic partitions with the ability to create unique, attractive interior spaces and achieve fully-customized appearances. Resistall partitions can be floor-mounted and overhead braced, ceiling hung and/or purchased in floor-to-ceiling configurations. Because they never need painting, Resistall Partitions deliver no VOC emissions and are GREENGUARD® Gold Children and Schools Certified for improved air quality.

In addition, if cleaned and maintained properly, HDPE paritions reduce costs in the long run. Mild stains and general soiling are often removed with a mild cleaner and water. Tougher stains are normally counteracted with solutions containing 2⁄3 cup of trisodium phosphate, 1⁄2 cup of household detergent and a gallon of water. If those solutions are not viable, a non-abrasive industrial-strength cleaner will do the job without damaging the surface of the bathroom partition.

Since plastic is a solid composite, it also maintains a property of impermeability that does not allow them to retain and/or absorb water. Because of this characteristic, the partitions will resist water damage and are rust proof. This makes the stalls ideal for power-washing and hose-down cleaning.

“Resistall is great for restaurant and food service facilities,” said Mendel. “They’re durable, affordable and look great in every application.”