F & B : Kitchen design
Out in the
nico Osteria at Thompson chicago includes a 1,000-sq-ft ( 93-sq-m ) open kitchen with bar seating to give diners a close-up view of chefs in action .
Doug Fogelson
F & B outlets are Becoming increasingly puBlic , and kitchen spaces oFten are in the spotlight . by Ann BAgEL STOrck , mAnAging EdiTOr
Nico Osteria , which opened at Thompson Chicago last December , is indicative of a growing restaurant trend . The Italian seafood-driven concept has a number of cutting-edge design features , but none are more prominent than its 1,000-sq-ft ( 93- sq-m ) open kitchen . Designed by Chicagobased Stuart Davis of Next Step Design , the kitchen includes functional elements such as a crudo station with marble-top island and chilled well , and a spaceefficient island cooking unit with a grill , fryer and two flat cooking tops . But it also features handmade subway-size tiles along its back wall as well as bar seating to give diners a close-up view of the action .
“ Right now , the public is fascinated with chefs and competitive cooking shows such as ‘ Top Chef ’ and ‘ Chopped ,’” Davis says . “ So when they are given front-row seats to watch chefs do this in person they have a much better understanding and appreciation for their food .”
“ I see chefs moving their culinary landscape closer to guests to create personal interaction and enhance the experience for guests ,” observes Peter Marx , executive chef at The Sanchaya in Indonesia . “ The days are gone when chefs were just in the back of house .”
With hotels under increasing pressure to utilize and monetize even obscure spaces , F & B outlets are becoming increasingly public , and in many cases , kitchen design is front and center . “ Kitchen design is now as valued as interior design ,” notes Stéphane Bellon , vice president of corporate F & B for
Kempinski Hotels , Geneva , Switzerland . “ In more and more projects the kitchen design is the driving force of the concept , and the interior design comes after .”
This reality could have some surprising results , according to Russ Pizzuto , New York City-based kitchen design consultant and project manager for Blueplate Studios , a Wilson Associates Studio . “ I see foodservice designers being challenged to think out of the box in a good way ,” Pizzuto says . “ Front-of-house finishes like stone and colored composite materials are making their way into support-space tabletops . Shelving is not offensive if kept orderly , and even walkin coolers can be converted to look like large refrigerated decorated storerooms with windows .”
www . hotelsmag . com May 2014 HOTELS 37