Restaurant Development & Design

July-August 2015

restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.

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5 6 • r e s t a u r a n t d e v e l o p m e n t + d e s i g n • J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 achieve a look and feel that suggest mid- century Cuba. The various seating styles available include custom leather booths adjacent to a featured guacamole bar. The design of both the booths and the guac bar, at which customers can see employees preparing the restaurant's signature fresh guacamole, refect a 1950s and '60s retro Havana feel. "The tile on the base of the gua- camole bar is one of the more modern components we brought in," Oldham notes. "It's a nod back to the type of design you'd see in the cars of that period and that are still frozen in time in Cuba. It creates a nice texture and a focal point. Above the guacamole bar we installed shelves displaying a collection of rums and books." Rich, brown leather booths with contrasting piping also reference retro car detailing and provide a more resi- dential aesthetic than standard booths would, Himmel adds. A bold, dark teal feature wall in the casual dining room serves as a backdrop for large, gold-framed artwork that cel- ebrates Latin culture and adds vibrancy to the room. The neutral adjacent walls feature a combination of gray stucco and rich walnut veneer. Of the artwork, Himmel says the company has curated 15 to 20 different images that can be rotated in to addition- al units as Paladar continues to expand. "Some might come into play in some units, and some might not. It depends on the shape and vibe of the space," he says, noting that, while the new prototype provides the core aesthetic for the brand, each unit will have its own individual look. "We want people to walk in and know they're in a Paladar restaurant, but not because it's an exact replicate, rather because of the energy, the feel and the level of detail in the overall design." Being a Latin kitchen and rum bar, the latter space naturally gener- ates much of the concept's energy. In Gaithersburg, the large bar area is the frst main room the guests walk into after passing the entry vestibule and host station. Open to the casual dining room on one side, its opposite side features a large glass garage door that opens up in mild weather to a patio area outside. A sofft hanging over the area fea- tures painted wooden beams and pressed- tin panels that help to create a more intimate atmosphere in the high-ceilinged room and a variety of seating styles suits different customer occasions. The long, PALADAR LATIN KITCHEN & RUM BAR Snapshot SEGMENT: Full-service, polished casual PROJECT TYPE: New construction REAL ESTATE: Freestanding, lifestyle center UNIT SIZE: 6,700 square feet KEY COMPONENTS: Formal dining room, casual dining room, bar, two outdoor patios DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS: Bold colors, Latin artwork, residential-style lighting, Spanish tile walls, guacamole bar, rum displays, Spanish furniture–inspired custom furnishings and millwork BUILD OUT: Two months The designers played with color and scale to give the Spanish-style tile feature wall a modern feel.

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