Riscala Agnese Design Group

Mixed Use

Over the past 2-3 years, there has been a noticeable uptick in the amount of "mixed use" shops you may run into walking around NYC. Maybe 10 years ago, Club Monaco Flatiron was the first such place that we noticed, which housed a flower shop sitting in a room displaying books for sale, connected to a coffee shop, all belonging to their original, clothing store. All types could be seen there mid-day, browsing the books, admiring the flowers, and ultimately, chatting while sipping a coffee. Maybe one day they would buy a sweater.

I've written previously about the crossover at the Public Hotel, where Ian Schrager has clearly established a go-to spot for just about anything - stay, work, play, eat... But these smaller street level shops are beginning to morph as well, to capture one's attention with one of their many offerings. They're creating a buzz, exuding a certain lifestyle, in the hopes that they will develop a devout following of people who like what they're putting out there for one reason or another. These companies are paying attention to their store design, graphic design and branding, and of course, social media. Cafe Kitsune and Aime Leon Dore are two notable examples of this trend. Aime Leon Dore, created in 2014, this year gained a partner in LVMH. Pretty impressive for a little LES shop. It caught or attention about a year ago, as we had to find our way through a lingering crowd spilling out from their doors onto Mulberry Street in front of their pretty white storefront. At that time, we had no idea who they were or what they were doing. Once we were finally able to peer in, we saw that they were mostly a streetwear store, with of course, a hip coffee shop imbedded inside. It was a see and be seen type of vibe.

As designers, we are glad that brands like this are becoming a bit more savvy with their visual presence, after about a decade of lesser calculated, piecemeal approaches taken by many who wanted to invest much less time, money and effort, to open a place. People are stepping it up, and we are here for it.

Aime Leon Dore

Cafe Kitsune

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Extra Virgin

Having lived in the West Village for the past 12 years, we have studied most of the local restaurants, many having come and gone. All things considered, for the past 8 years, our preferable go-to spot has been Extra Virgin on West 4^th Street. Why EV? Other than the beloved manager, Jean Rene (who is a born natural) we are most at home, outside of our home, here.

More than any other time, the last 2 years have impressed upon us the importance of community, beyond what we had understood that to mean before, and the role a restaurant like EV has played, within it. We chose to live in the WV because of the unmistakable neighborhood feel it possesses, far more than any other area of the city. And when we felt that this ‘town within a city’ that we had enjoyed daily, that we crave when we’re not there, could possibly wither away, we started to appreciate it even more. We became closer to people like Jean Rene during this time, and he to us, as I think everyone was feeling that they wanted to cling to what we all had.

But what is it about EV? Consistency in the quality of our preferred menu items has been relatively good, which is a key component in maintaining regular customers. But what we have come to appreciate most is the atmosphere, created by the other regular customers that EV draws. There is a certain ease that regulars bring with them, that translates into a relaxed environment filled with the right energy. That type of vibe cannot be created only with food, nor design, nor the music. In fact, this restaurant in particular is nothing to write home about when it comes to design, and actually bucking the tradition of good restaurant design, the only decided color in the place is green. Music wise, they typically choose a lane and stay there; one night could be hip hop, another rock, Latin…. you never know what you’re going to get. But that home away from home feeling cannot be denied here, for us. In all of these years, not one other has come close to EV.

We have been restaurant designers in the NYC metro area for decades, and we understand very well what makes a restaurant successful (as well as the adverse). Efforts are made across the board in an ever changing market to try to achieve that sweet spot of a very complex curve. Not one thing secures your success just as one other won’t bring you to fail, but it is the cumulative effect of positive points that results in “I will be back” said to your partner or yourself, and if you’re a regular, it’s only a question of when.

Jean Rene

Our Approach

We've talked about the Highline and the Meatpacking district in NYC in previous posts...

Years ago, as The Highline was just opening, the Hudson River Park Organization opened up a competition of sorts, asking for restaurant owners to submit proposals to develop a concept that would inhabit an empty space at the base of the entrance to the Highline, on Gansevoort Street, right next to where the Whitney Museum now lives. A client of ours, for whom we had designed Johnny Utah's in Rockefeller Center, and Vespa Restaurant & Neat Coffee Shop in Westport CT, asked us to be an integral part of developing his proposal. My partner Fadi and I spearheaded the endeavor, and started conceptualizing, quickly. We only had about a week to present our business plan to the Board, which would include among other items, a full description of the concept, rendered views of the restaurant, brand graphics, menus, and all of the financials, as well as a detailed description of each member of the team who would eventually be involved in the real thing, if we were chosen. We imagined a neighborhood modern diner concept, inspired by a 1942 Edward Hopper painting called Nighthawks. Hopper had also been a resident of the West Village, which tied in perfectly. We called the restaurant "The Approach", which had several meanings for us. For one, as I stated, this space sits at the base of the southernmost entrance to The Highline, so it is what you see upon approach. And another, this was our unique approach to the challenge posed. We felt that it was important to maintain maximum visibility with a full-height glass and metal exterior, putting the interior on display day and night. We had imagined that the only solid wall of the space would serve as a backdrop to the action inside, where we imagined a floor to ceiling portrait of a man on a horse, as early West Village inhabitants would have seen along the railway where the Highline now travels, back in the day. The bar was to be modern, slick, and colorful, with the appearance that it had been extruded in one single piece, end to end. The backbar would be a series of floating glass shelves, allowing for visibility from within and outside of the restaurant. Linear light posts with signature "dineresque" coat hooks would sit between a string of booths traveling down the center of the space, and 4-tops would hug the perimeter. We lost the contest to a heavy hitter in the NYC restaurant scene, but it was an interesting and inspiring exercise, and one that we would welcome again. You will see below, our rendered view of the space, complete with signage based on the logo we designed, along with several pages of the menu we conceptualized. Nighthawks, also, below.

Nighthawks - Edward Hopper

ICFF

In the past, we have been impressed by many things that we have seen while visiting trade shows in Milan, Paris, Dubai, Las Vegas, Miami, etc… Each year, we attend the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, at the Javits Center here in NYC. Just like the others, it is meant to be a place for inspiration and education on new products and design trends in the hospitality industry. The last couple of years have been very disappointing. I suppose it’s understandable this year and last, with everyone being affected by Covid. On the other hand, it could have been a time of more innovation and expression, without borders, which you would hope would translate into exciting new items and ideas on display. Not so, at the Javits. During the pandemic, we took the opportunity to create imaginary spaces, without the confinement of a specific project, client, or location, to restrict our minds. We’ve been designing a series of restaurant spaces via renderings, which we will eventually (and hopefully not in the too distant future) have up on our website. But, back to the issue at hand, these trade shows, specifically the ICFF in NY. Even the year before Covid, I recall the show being much smaller, with less participants than in prior years. We have displayed at shows in the past; it’s costly, and a lot of work. We have also heard that the Javits has been making it more difficult to participate in these things. All of that aside, we wonder if shows like this are becoming a thing of the past, that companies are finding other outlets to be more effective for them. Social media, for one, has changed the game drastically. Exposure is no longer confined to showing up to anywhere specific, to see what’s new. Not having been to a show at an overseas location in a few years, I wonder if they are experiencing the same drop off, or if this is a problem here in NY. Are we pushing enough?

https://icff.com/

Ground Central

A few years ago, one of our more active clients enlisted us to take over the design of his existing brand of coffee shops here in NYC, Ground Central. We have been slowly introducing new design elements, transitioning the look bit by bit. Sometimes, editing an existing design can be just as if not more interesting than creating something new. It requires a different kind of analysis, considering the existing clientele. Depending on the venue, it can be risky to make a drastic shift. But sometimes, a severe turn is necessary, if you need to capture a different crowd. In the case of a coffee shop, familiarity and comfort is part of the formula. So we are being careful as we go.

An interesting element that will remain as part of the design is their signature custom murals, created by an artist from Australia, specifically for each location. They're really cool, here is an example, outside of the newest location currently under construction...

Mamo Continues...

We checked back in on our Miami restaurant project last week, and found that the demo phase was complete. We are now in the bidding stage for a General Contractor, and hope to start construction within the month. We learned that a close relative of Fadi is opening a large restaurant on the same block, with a well known restaurant group from France & the Mid East... what are the chances?? Good company! Working on the exterior design this week, as the restaurant will aim to open for the good-weather Fall season, here are some rendered views of how that's shaping up:

Little Island

There's been a new addition to the West Side, called Little Island. It happens to be one of my favorite structures in all of NYC, mostly since I have fully realized my love for all things formed concrete. It's located just to the West of The Whitney, another favorite, which is also near the base of The Highline, yet another asset of this part of town. We've also recently learned that a Shake Shack will inhabit the space underneath that entrance to the promenade, which will undoubtedly revitalize that part of Meatpacking, which has been slightly dormant since the pandemic.

In any case, Little Island is a nicely landscaped dynamic little park, with few visual/experiential attractions, lawns for lounging, and a full amphitheater overlooking the NJ skyline. We really appreciate the organizations that have made things like this possible near our home, namely The Hudson River Park Trust along with The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. They have reimagined and transformed several areas of our community, which are used and enjoyed by locals and visitors. If you haven't been, I encourage a visit as we enter into better weather. www.littleisland.org