What Cornerstone Design/Build Services does

Cornerstone Design/Build Services, Inc. is a Swansea, Massachusetts-based commercial general contractor founded in 1987 by Bob Sanford, who continues to serve as President. The firm is privately held, employs 11-50 people, and specializes exclusively in restaurant and retail construction across New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine), with multi-state licensure (MA Construction Supervisor, RI Registered Contractor, CT Registered Major Contractor). Itself branded as "New England's premier builder of restaurants and retail stores," Cornerstone delivers for an enterprise client roster that includes Starbucks (over 15 years), Panera Bread (since 1997), Chipotle Mexican Grill (since 2014), sweetgreen (since 2015), Seasons Corner Market (nearly 20 locations since 2014), Tatte Bakery & Café, Patagonia/Denali, and emerging entrants such as Tecovas (2024) and Level 99.

The company's offering is a defined suite of eight core services: ground-up construction, tenant fit-out, vanilla box construction, interior and exterior remodeling, drive-thru additions, kiosk installation, permit expediting, and site investigation. Execution emphasizes on-time, on-budget delivery and a one-year post-completion walk-through; LEED-certified and green building work is a recurring differentiator, illustrated by the firm's Certified Green Chipotle builds. There is no proprietary technology platform — the business is fundamentally labor- and subcontractor-driven — and there are no AI/ML, API, or integration capabilities disclosed.

Revenue is generated through one-time project-based fees (quote-based pricing is not publicly disclosed) under direct enterprise contracts with national restaurant and retail chains, primarily delivered via long-cycle, multi-unit program relationships. Distribution is regional and direct (field/enterprise sales); marketing is limited to organic social on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Notable strategic depth includes repeat ABC Excellence in Construction Awards (2021 for Level 99, plus prior wins for Tatte, Patagonia/Denali, Life Alive, Seasons Corner Market, and Not Your Average Joe's) and a 2016 Starbucks Store of the Year Award for the Winter Street Boston project. The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, subsidiaries, or parent company, and is founder-owned with deep internal tenure (multiple superintendents and project managers with 20-30+ years of experience).

Name

Cornerstone Design/Build Services

Legal name

Cornerstone Design/Build Services, Inc.

Website

https://cornerstonedesignbuild.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Design/Build Services is a Swansea, MA-based commercial general contractor founded in 1987 that builds and remodels restaurants and retail stores for national enterprise clients across New England. Its 11-50 person team delivers ground-up construction, tenant fit-outs, remodeling, drive-thru and kiosk installations on a project-based fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitality & Entertainment Venue Construction (IMAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Commercial construction services
• Restaurant construction
• Retail construction
• Design-build services
• Construction management

Headquarters

HQ city

Swansea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. General Contractor Services: Cornerstone generates revenue through one-time project-based fees for construction services including ground-up construction, tenant fit-out, interior and exterior remodeling, and drive-thru additions for restaurant and retail clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Design/Build Services is a construction firm that provides design-build construction services for commercial clients in New England. The company specializes in restaurant and retail construction projects, delivering integrated design and construction services from initial design through final build-out for food-service and retail establishments.

Product overview

Cornerstone Design/Build Services is New England's premier builder of restaurants and retail stores, offering a full suite of general contractor services. The company's service portfolio consists of eight core offerings: Ground-up Construction, Tenant Fit-out, Vanilla Box Construction, Interior & Exterior Remodeling, Drive-thru Additions, Kiosk Installation, Permit Expediting, and Site Investigation. The company operates with a sense of urgency, responsiveness, and accountability, conducting one-year post-completion walk-throughs with clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant Construction Services Design-build construction services for restaurant projects, covering the full lifecycle from initial design through final build-out. Services are tailored to the specific code, mechanical, and ventilation requirements of food-service establishments and are delivered to restaurant owners, franchise operators, and developers in New England.
• Retail Construction Services Design-build construction services for retail projects, encompassing new retail builds, tenant fit-outs, and renovations. The offering serves retail business owners, developers, and commercial property tenants in New England who require integrated design and construction execution for retail spaces.
• Design-Build Services Integrated design-build delivery combining architectural design and construction services under a single provider, offered to commercial clients undertaking restaurant and retail projects. The model provides a single point of accountability across the design and construction phases.

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Night Shift BrewingminorOthersCornerstone partnered with Night Shift Brewing to include their craft beer tap room as part of the Level 99 immersive gaming experience project in Natick, MA.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gilbane Building Company: National construction firm founded in Rhode Island with broad commercial, institutional, and hospitality practices. Comparable in regional New England heritage and overlapping commercial/restaurant work, but significantly larger and more diversified.
• Suffolk Construction: Boston-headquartered national ENR top-tier GC with broad commercial, hospitality, and retail capabilities. Larger incumbent that competes for the same enterprise restaurant/retail chain programs Cornerstone serves, but operates at a much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Shawmut Design and Construction: Boston-headquartered national design-build GC with a deep restaurant, retail, and hospitality practice. Directly competes with Cornerstone for enterprise chain programs across New England and beyond, with comparable design-build delivery and premium client rosters.
• Tocci Building Companies: Woburn, MA-based design-build GC with a strong portfolio in commercial interiors, hospitality, and retail fit-outs. Directly comparable in size, geography, and service offering to Cornerstone's restaurant/retail focus.
• Consigli Construction Co., Inc. Massachusetts-based general contractor serving commercial, institutional, and historic clients throughout New England. Comparable as a privately-held regional GC with overlapping service mix in commercial/institutional building construction.
• BBL Construction Services: Albany, NY-headquartered construction firm with a dedicated restaurant and hospitality practice serving national chain brands. Comparable niche focus on restaurant/retail chain rollouts with multi-state coverage in the Northeast.
• Commodore Builders: Massachusetts-based commercial GC focused on complex interior construction, healthcare, and corporate fit-outs. Comparable mid-sized New England GC competing for similar nonresidential build-out work.
• J. Calnan & Associates: New England-based commercial construction manager specializing in interior fit-outs for corporate, life sciences, and restaurant/retail clients. Comparable mid-sized GC competing for similar nonresidential build-out work in the Boston market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cornerstonedesignbuildservicesinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-design-build-services-inc-?trk=prof-exp-company-name
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstonedesignbuild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone Design/Build Services