For us, F&B design starts long before choosing a stone, a chair or the right shade of paint. It starts with understanding the business behind the space: who is coming, why they are coming, how long they might stay, what they need to see first, and how the team needs to move around them. The plan begins to answer these questions and sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Where the bar sits can make it the heart of the experience or leave it unnoticed. A mix of quick, casual seating and more comfortable corners can change how people use the space and how long they stay. The relationship between the entrance, counter, kitchen and tables can make the journey feel completely natural — or create friction before a guest has even ordered. These decisions may seem small on paper, but together they shape the rhythm of a place.

In hospitality, every square meter has a role to play. Circulation needs to feel natural for the guest while working efficiently for the team, and seating needs to respond to different moments — the morning coffee, the quick lunch, the long dinner, or the table that grows when friends arrive. Visibility matters too: what catches your eye from the street, what draws you inside, and what you discover as you move through the space.

Then comes the layer people remember: the lighting at the table, the material you touch at the bar, the view from your seat, the energy of an open kitchen, or simply that one corner everyone gravitates towards. This is where brand and space begin to speak the same language, turning a well-planned interior into an experience with an identity of its own.

 

Ultimately, a successful space should do more than look good on opening day. It should invite people in, work just as well when it is full, give them a reason to stay and, most importantly, make them want to come back.

DESIGN INSIGHT - THE POWER OF THE PLAN

Before materials, furniture and lighting begin to define a space, the plan has already made some of its most important decisions.

 

In F&B, layout influences behavior in ways we often experience without noticing. The position of an entrance determines the first impression and where the eye naturally travels. A bar placed in direct view can immediately create energy and become part of the arrival experience, while a more discreet position can shift the focus towards dining, conversation or the architecture itself.

Seating plays an equally important role. Not every guest arrives with the same intention, so not every seat should offer the same experience. Counter stools can accommodate a quick coffee, communal tables encourage interaction, while smaller tables and tucked-away corners invite guests to settle in for longer. The right balance creates choice while allowing the space to transition naturally throughout the day.

Seating plays an equally important role. Not every guest arrives with the same intention, so not every seat should offer the same experience. Counter stools can accommodate a quick coffee, communal tables encourage interaction, while smaller tables and tucked-away corners invite guests to settle in for longer. The right balance creates choice while allowing the space to transition naturally throughout the day.

 

Circulation connects all of these moments. Guests should be able to understand a space almost instinctively — where to order, where to wait, where to sit and how to move between indoor and outdoor areas — without feeling directed. At the same time, staff circulation needs to work behind the scenes, allowing service to remain efficient even at the busiest moments.

This is why we see the floor plan as much more than an arrangement of furniture. It is the framework for how a space will live: where people gather, where they pause, what they notice and how the atmosphere changes from one zone to another.

 

Currently taking shape in the UAE, HAYY is a coffee shop project centered around translating a strong brand identity into a space that can welcome different ages, routines and ways of spending time.

The process began with the plan. Before defining materials or finishes, we studied how the space could work at its best — analyzing circulation, the relationship with the coffee bar, seating capacity and the different experiences we wanted to create. Several rounds of layouts were explored, tested and refined, allowing us to challenge each decision and find the right balance between functionality, flow and experience.

Rather than repeating one type of seating throughout, the final direction brings together a series of distinct zones: a relaxed lounge, booth seating, café tables and a community table designed for people to gather, work or simply spend time together. A library and reading corner introduces a quieter moment, while dedicated merchandising shelves extend the HAYY identity beyond the coffee experience.

With the planning in place, the brand begins to take physical form. Color, materials, finishes, furniture and lighting are all being developed as part of the same language, giving each zone its own character while keeping the overall experience connected and recognizably HAYY.

The result we are working towards is a space that offers something different depending on who walks through the door, without losing sight of the identity that brings it all together.

 

HAYY is still taking shape, and we can’t wait to share the final space with you as the vision comes to life!

Across our F&B projects, there has never been one formula to follow. Each begins with understanding what sits at the heart of the concept — a product, a place, a brand, a ritual — and finding a way to translate that story into an experience people can move through, interact with and remember.

- THE HOUSE -

At The House, that story began with the coffee bean and the ritual surrounding it. The journey from cultivation and roasting to the final cup became part of the spatial narrative, inviting guests to engage with the process rather than simply experience the finished product. 

 

An open and intuitive layout connects these different moments, while stone, oak, linen and earthy textures create a natural backdrop that keeps the focus on coffee, craft and the experience around it.

- Veuve Clicquot -

With Veuve Clicquot, the challenge was to translate the identity of an iconic Maison into an environment without allowing the branding to become the design itself. Its recognizable color palette became one layer of a wider story, woven through architectural elements, materials, product displays and social spaces. 

 

The result allowed the character of Veuve Clicquot to be immediately felt while creating an experience that encouraged guests to discover, gather and interact with the brand in a more physical way.

- Amazonas -

And with Amazonas, the interior became a form of escape. The concept looked to the richness and energy of the Amazon as a starting point, building an immersive environment through lush greenery, organic forms, bespoke furniture and expressive lighting. 

 

Layers of material, color and planting work together to create moments of discovery throughout the space, allowing the atmosphere itself to become part of the dining experience and transport guests away from the city outside.

Three very different concepts, scales and identities, but one approach connects them: 

THE DESIGN FORMULA

There is no single formula for a successful F&B space, but there are a few ingredients we believe should always be part of the conversation. From the identity behind the concept to the way the space works every day, each plays a role in creating an experience that feels considered from every angle.

Individually, each ingredient has a purpose. The real impact comes from how they work together — creating a space that feels good to experience, makes sense to operate and gives people a reason to return.

A well-planned space sets the foundation, but it is the layers that give it character. The materials we touch, the chair we choose to sit in, the lighting above a table and the finishes that surround us all contribute to how a space feels and how we remember it.

 

In F&B, these choices are never simply decorative. A carefully curated mix of materials, FF&E and finishes helps set the mood, reinforce the identity and bring warmth, texture and personality into the experience. When selected with intention, every piece becomes part of the bigger picture — turning a strong layout into a space people want to experience.

 

We are constantly looking at the spaces, studios and ideas shaping the world of hospitality — projects that make us stop, look closer and think differently about how an F&B space can be experienced. From bold material choices and clever planning to spaces shaped by their surroundings, these five projects each caught our attention for a different reason.

01

DAILY PRESS, ABU DHABI

Daily Press shows how a café can feel both architectural and social. A sculptural stone island anchors the space, surrounded by a layered palette of steel, veined stone, wood, glass and handmade surfaces. What we particularly love is how the planning accommodates different ways of spending time, moving between communal and lounge seating, dining around the bar and quieter areas designed for longer stays.

 

Strong geometry, unexpected material combinations and a bar that truly becomes the heart of the space.

02

DÍON, DUBLIN

At Díon, the journey through the building becomes part of the dining experience. Guests move from a darker, more intimate lounge through a sculptural curved staircase before arriving at the double-height rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. The contrast between these moments creates a sense of anticipation, proving that the experience of a restaurant can begin long before reaching the table.

 

A dramatic arrival sequence where architecture, movement and destination become part of the experience.

03

ETHR CLUBHAUS, SHARJAH

ETHR Clubhaus brings together café, bakery, retail and gathering spaces within one layered experience. From a sunken garden lounge to the light-filled retail and kitchen areas and main dining space, each zone offers a different way to interact with the concept. Its material story is equally considered, combining recycled and locally sourced finishes with stone references drawn from Sharjah's natural landscape.

 

The way local context, materiality and community come together to give the space an identity that feels completely its own.

04

EVENTIDE COFFEE, CHENNAI

At Eventide Coffee, the surrounding coastal landscape becomes part of the design language. Changing daylight, the colors of the shoreline and a restrained material palette shape the atmosphere, while a sculptural coffee counter, community table, lounge seating and merchandising introduce different ways to gather and spend time. The result feels closely connected to its setting without allowing the concept to become overly literal.

 

The way light, landscape and materiality create an atmosphere without needing to shout.

05

MECCA COFFEE, DARLINGHURST

Mecca Coffee is a great example of allowing the conditions of a site to lead the design. Rather than disguising its small, partially underground setting, the concept embraces its cave-like quality through clay-rendered surfaces, sandstone, timber and a monolithic red stone counter. What could have been a limitation becomes the element that gives the space its strongest sense of character.

 

A clever example of turning a site constraint into the starting point of the design story.

 

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Not a particular style, palette or design formula, but a clear point of view. Each project finds its identity in something different — movement, materiality, context, light or the site itself — reminding us that the F&B spaces we remember most are often the ones that give us something distinctive to experience.

From the first idea to the final detail, we approach F&B as an experience to be built from the inside out — understanding the concept, the people it is designed for and the story it wants to tell.

 

Whether it’s a neighborhood coffee shop, a restaurant, a beach club or a new hospitality concept, we work across every layer to create spaces with a clear identity, a strong foundation and a reason for people to come back.

 

 

Have a concept in mind? Let’s bring it to life!