April Calendar Spotlight: Ronald McDonald House Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana’s Family Dining and Kitchen Modernization

Our featured project for the month of April is the Ronald McDonald House Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana’s family dining and kitchen modernization!

Bulley & Andrews has been a trusted builder for Ronald McDonald House (RMH) for over 30 years. We are proud of our partnership that continues to help the organization in their mission to provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare.

In 2025, the Ronald McDonald House’s dining area and kitchen were transformed into bright, welcoming spaces for volunteers and families. This project required highly detailed coordination and careful modification of the existing post-tension structural system to accommodate the installation of new equipment, enabling the transition from a residential-style kitchen to a fully equipped commercial kitchen.

“This project required extremely detailed coordination,” said Shannon Burke, Division Leader. “Our field team, led by Superintendent Scott Ekhoff, had to work around the RMH facility needs and schedule to get materials and crews in and out of the building without impacting the experiences of the parents and children staying there. The B&A team truly became an extension of the client in completing this project safely and with minimal disruption so that RMH could continue to serve and care for their families.”

Given the critical nature of the kitchen’s role in serving families, the project was executed on an expedited schedule to minimize downtime and ensure continued meal service. The completed upgrades have allowed Ronald McDonald House Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana to expand and improve its offerings, including increasing the number of meals provided, broadening menu diversity to better accommodate a range of dietary needs and restrictions, and introducing composting practices to divert food waste from landfills.

In addition to the operational improvements, the new space has helped foster greater community engagement, with an increase in repeat volunteer groups returning to assist with meal preparation in the new space.