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FeedDining by Design
From layout to decor, planning a restaurant is a complicated—and deliberate—process
The line at Northstar Cafe in Beechwold is, predictably, out the door. Inside the brightly lit space, a family sits near the window, the table filled with salads, burrito bowls and a plastic dinosaur or two. Three generations share their meals, all eyes focused on the toddler.
A few feet away, a meeting takes place at the long community table. The new board is voted in and a fundraiser is conceived beneath the cool, spherical, sea-creature-like pendants.
At an adjacent booth, a couple flips through magazines about cocktails and gardening (respectively) as they await their carrot juice. All the while, associates zip down the spacious pathways bringing out the restaurant’s organic fare. For those subleasing space at the restaurant’s tables, the experience is smooth, simple and enjoyable. Diners feel like they’re doing something good for themselves, for their community and, perhaps, even the earth by dining at this restaurant.
All of this is by design.
While well-designed (and well-loved by those in the field), Northstar Cafe is not alone in providing diners with a clear message, a functional space and a sense of community. Whether, as diners, we consciously realize it or not, every restaurant is its own universe, made up of millions of decisions to cater just to us.
Designers from Columbus’ thriving restaurant design scene work on each project for months—or even years—to make sure our minds are as satisfied as our stomachs when we go to our favorite eateries. Join us as we look past the booths and beyond the kitchen into the lives and minds of four designers.
Archive »Dining by Design
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Brent Lacount - Dining by DesignFive million people have been through the doors of Brio Tuscan Grille at Easton in the 13 years it’s been open. And it’s likely not one of them noticed that the placement of the service stations facilitated an efficient workflow for the staff. (Happy servers equal happy diners, right?) |
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Jennifer Fredritz - Dining by DesignJennifer Fredritz, creative director at WD Partners, is an eager student in the science of what she calls “Brand Souls”—the heart and soul of a restaurant. |
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Tim Lai & Eliza Ho - Dining by DesignTim Lai pulls out his phone to snap a photograph of his Yuengling-braised pork belly (served with three pierogi and a grain mustard tarragon butter) while we sit at an upcycled table inside Dinin’ Hall. Whether the photo is to promote Sophie’s Gourmet Pierogi truck on social media or for personal documentation, there’s no question that he loves his lunch. |
