Brian Zolot

In this blog we highlight the 20’ BillyBox (full-service shipping container bar) we built for East Side Denton, a rustic bar focused on beer, scotch & whiskey with food trucks, a beer garden, and yard games in historic downtown Denton, Texas. This full-service shipping container bar will be used to serve beer on tap, canned/bottled beverages, cocktails, and slushies to the beer garden’s guests all year long. With 10 taps, three service windows, and a walk-in cooler, this unit will be able to handle crowds of all sizes.

Upcycling a shipping container was an important aspect of this project, as the East Side Denton team not only prioritizes sustainability at their venue, but the industrial aesthetic of the BillyBox perfectly fits East Side’s rustic vibe. The two-tone blue paint job really makes the unit “pop”, along with the Denton disco ball added after this unit opened its doors.

In this blog we highlight the two 20′ mobile BillyBoxes (full-service shipping container bars) we built for Carowinds Amusement Park outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Carowinds is a 407-acre amusement park owned and operated by Cedar Fair and has served as the premier amusement park destination for Carolinians since it opened in 1973.

Carowinds approached ROXBOX in 2022 in need of two mobile bars that they could move around the park and the BillyBox was the perfect solution for their team. With a walk-in cooler and onboard fresh & grey water tanks, the bars can be moved around the park to optimize sales at new locations and/or accommodate event-driven demand. The 6-tap direct-draw draft system, ice maker, ice well, triple sink, dump sink, hand sink, merchandiser refrigerator, and plenty of extra space for additional equipment allow the park to serve beer on tap, canned/bottled beverages, cocktails, and snacks to park guests. With unique color schemes and branding on each unit, the BillyBoxes are able to seamlessly fit into the different themes of the park while also catching the attention of guests.

Upcycling shipping containers was an important aspect of this project, as the Cedar Fair team is prioritizing their sustainability initiatives at all of their parks across the country. Not only are the BillyBoxes eye-catching, durable, and functional, but they also support Cedar Fair’s CSR (Corporate Social Sustainability) goals.

Welcome to Q’anápsu, a 25-container dispensary built on the Cowlitz Reservation in Washington state. This project is one of the largest shipping container structures in the Western Hemisphere and is a true testament to volumetric modular construction. ROXBOX collaborated with the client to execute the design + build + on-site install of this shell pathway project, after which a local General Contractor finished the build-out on-site per our direction.

The permanent dispensary location capped off a long-running development plan for the tribe, as they looked to expand their Q’anápsu Dispensary operations beyond the mobile dispensary truck they were operating out of for years. The 25-container dispensary features a check-in entrance/patio, large retail space, ATM room, photo/selfie room, product storage space, employee back-of-house lounge, offices, and a secure driveway for product delivery. Ten (10) 40’ containers make up the first level and fifteen (15) 20’ & 40’ containers make up the second level. Two impressive cantilevers cap off the massive modular structure (one of which juts out 21 feet over the entrance patio), showcasing the true versatility of building with shipping containers. The structure is painted Q’anápsu’s iconic green and is decorated with various types of branding to truly make the structure pop from all angles.

Upcycling shipping containers was an important aspect of this project, as sustainability is a defining ethos of the Cowlitz people and they wanted to reflect that in all aspects of the build. Not only is this structure an important economic development that the tribe can use to employ members and bring in funds to the community, but it’s also a building they can be proud of everytime they look at it. The detail that went into the build and significance of the project can best be described by the tribe themselves: “Welcome to Q’anápsu, a unique dispensary experience brought to you by the Cowlitz people. Q’anápsu in our language means grass. Just like the hearty grasses throughout the prairies as you look east from where you stand, Q’anápsu has a thousand stories to tell. From artwork representing our beautiful landscape, to the shapes of traditional cedar hats, you’ll see our stories are woven throughout our store.”

Working with the Cowlitz Tribe and incorporating their culture, history, & story into every aspect of the build was a special opportunity for the ROXBOX team.

Welcome to SERV, a new pickleball-themed entertainment district located in Overland Park, Kansas outside Kansas City. The indoor and outdoor entertainment complex offers a variety of food concepts, pickleball courts, yard games and private event spaces. ROXBOX led the design of the outdoor shipping container park, in which 19 shipping containers were used for food & beverage concepts, retail/office suites, bathrooms, storage, and branding.

The outdoor container park features five 40’ container kitchens, one 20’ drive-thru & walk-up cafe, five 20’ office/retail/private lounge suites, one 40’ double-wide bathroom, one 40’ dry-storage container, one 40’ cold storage container, one 40’ tower, and a 40’ container bar with two 40’ containers stacked on top to support a 20’ X 10’ LCD screen & SERV signage. With tons of seating & dining options, a stage opening up to a large turf yard, and two large video boards, the space is perfect for watch parties, summer movie nights, or a day out with family & friends. Two outdoor pickleball courts with stadium seating cap off the container park.

The SERV team capitalized on utilizing many of our standard models, thereby leading to a more efficient pre-construction phase of the project. On the other side, they chose to bring in numerous other firms which led to some delays through the construction phases of the project.

SERV’s indoor facility offers 6 pickleball courts (allowing guests to play no matter the weather), two bars, a sit-down restaurant, and multiple private event spaces. The combination of both the indoor and outdoor facilities makes SERV the perfect location for a fun day out with friends and family. As shipping container parks and large-scale modular developments become more popular, SERV has become a shining testament to how modular construction can quickly transform any property into an exciting space for the community with minimal development cost and a tremendous ROI opportunity. With the addition of our massive new Houston modular facility, we are excited to continue spearheading more container parks and larger-scale developments like SERV across the country.