2025 West Best Projects
Best Specialty Construction: Din Tai Fung at Downtown Disney
Din Tai Fung at Downtown Disney
Calif.
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by PCL Construction
Owner Rothschild Downes
Lead Design Firm Rockwell Group
General Contractor PCL Construction
Civil Engineer Psomas
Structural Engineer Thorson Baker
MEP Engineer Thorson Baker
Specialty Millwork, Drywall, Plaster Caston Inc.
Specialty Millwork, Finishes, Woodworking Pacific Architectural Woodworking Inc.
This $21-million, two-story restaurant is the first ground-up location for Din Tai Fung in the U.S., featuring a precision-crafted interior infused with design elements that pay homage to the company’s Taiwanese heritage. The specialty finishes installed in this restaurant demanded advanced sequencing, tight tolerances and trade integration.
The restaurant’s unusual vertical kitchen configuration required the installation of a two-story dumbwaiter system, an increasingly uncommon feature in modern restaurant construction. This custom conveying system was essential to the restaurant’s operational model, connecting food prep on Level 2 with active cooking and service on Level 1. Since few subcontractors today regularly build or inspect dumbwaiters, the project team brought in a subject matter expert early in design development.
During the dumbwaiter’s installation, the team adopted a strategy modeled after elevator construction by omitting the front metal-framed walls of the shaft. This allowed direct access to the shaft interior for proper alignment and connection of mechanical components. Once installed and tested, the walls were reinstalled to preserve the architectural finish and support fire rating continuity.
Photo by Paul Turang Photography
While preparing the foundation, the team discovered that the city of Anaheim unexpectedly required a line and grade survey and structural observation report prior to the first concrete placement. This requirement was not typical for this scope or jurisdiction. With critical path work at stake, the team coordinated directly with the structural engineer in Cleveland via live video inspections and completed both requirements within 48 hours. Pivoting from the original plan to pour foundations in multiple days, the team placed all foundations in a single day—more than 367 cu yd of concrete in 9.5 hours—saving time, cost and a second pump mobilization.
Photo by Paul Turang Photography
Throughout construction, the project’s millwork and finish complexity introduced additional challenges. Nearly every interior surface interfaced with curved architectural elements, custom stonework or integrated lighting required zero-tolerance coordination across trades. Every element—from curved reception counters to veneer wall panels and gold-toned glazing frames—was prefabricated, dry-fit and mock-up reviewed for quality.
A gold-framed dumpling kitchen viewing window was one such focal point. Its alignment with adjacent millwork and wall systems demanded precise field measurements, staged sequencing and close collaboration between casework fabricators, glaziers and finish carpenters.
Photo by Paul Turang Photography
Plaster and drywall, which added another $2.1 million in finish trade value, included a custom master wall plaster system designed to mimic real wood. These scopes were staged and installed by zone to minimize congestion and protect completed work.
The team delivered the project on time, on budget and with zero safety incidents and no use of owner contingency in June 2024.
