As many residents traveling on M-51 have already noticed, Dowagiac’s palace of flame-broiled burgers is the midst of a major overhaul.

Construction crews have been working the last several weeks on the local Burger King restaurant, located nearby the strip mall off M-51. The fast food restaurant, owned by Quality Dining out of Mishawaka, is receiving improvements to its exterior façade and interior dining room and kitchen areas, in line with the more modern look seen at other Burger King locations across the country.

“It will be a total transformational remodel,” said John Firth, president of Quality Dining. “It’s closer to us rebuilding the building than remodeling it. It will be unrecognizable when it’s done, compared to what it looked like before.”

The redesigned dining area will be more welcoming to customers, with café style tables and big screen televisions, Firth said.

In addition to the improvements to the building, the company is also adding an additional drive-thru lane for customers on-the-go, which should improve speed of service, especially during peek hours, Firth said. The back of the house will receive a new layout to accommodate the new system.

The project is part of Quality Dining’s efforts to update the look of many of its older buildings, in line with the franchise’s current branding, Firth said. The company operates 165 Burger King locations across Michigan, Indiana and Florida.

Since construction began, the restaurant has remained opened to visitors. However, the restaurant is expected to temporarily within the next couple weeks as work begins to the kitchen area. The restaurant should reopen for business about two weeks after the shutdown, Firth said.

Despite the radical new look and improved dining experience, customers should expect the familiar flame-broiled burgers and other menu items once the remodel is complete, Firth said.

“We’re excited about the new look, and we’re highly confident our guests will feel the same way,” he said.