Fast Food Interior Design Through the Years: McDonald’s

Fast food restaurants have been with us since 1919, when A&W opened its doors here in the US for the first time. Since then, these easy and somewhat sinful quick stops have grown to become a 570 billion dollar industry. But in order to remain such a staple of our lives, they’ve had to conform […]

What’s On the Horizon for Restaurant Chair Design?

restaurant furniture

Leading restaurant chains today know the importance of keeping their business up-to-date or even a step ahead of the current design trends. And while you might first think of the wall colors, decor, and lighting, the restaurant’s chairs are also an essential element of the overall aesthetics and feeling of the spaces. So, what should […]

Restaurant Tables: Cast Iron vs. Steel Table Bases

Restaurant Tables

Tables bases rarely get any of the credit. Most fanfare is put squarely on the table tops. But let’s think about this. Table bases play a vital role in the overall design and durability of a restaurant. A table base—rather 20 bases—can make or break the success of a busy dining space. At Grand Rapids […]

One Chair, Three Restaurant Designs: Part One

via GIPHY Move over Tolix, there’s a new industrial chair in town. And, it’s a bit more polished, sophisticated, and versatile than any other industrial chair available. Reece, designed by John Kaloustian, is one of our newest collections. The collection was inspired by an old factory chair and features industrial characteristics like exposed fasteners and rubber […]

Rethinking Restaurant Furniture With the Harper Collection

Picture a fast-food restaurant chair. Odds are, you’re thinking of something durable and something unsophisticated. “Meticulously designed” is a description likely to be left out. For our fourth collaboration with minimalist industrial designer, Joey Ruiter, we knew we wanted to radically rethink modern restaurant furniture.  The Harper Collection does just that, focusing on functionality and […]

The Inspiration for Look Book Vol. 2

Lindsay Jones tells us what's next for restaurant interiors, branding and design

We recently sat down with the creative genius behind Look Book Vol. 1 and the new Look Book Vol. 2 (which you can download here), Lindsay Jones, to discuss what influenced her, what are the next big trends in restaurant design, and where she finds inspiration. Dean Jeffery: Where do you find your inspiration? Lindsay Jones: […]

NeoCon 2016: A Celebration of People and Design

The large graphic wall pays homage to the people who work at the company as well as plays off of the graphic wall restaurant trend

Ah, NeoCon. It seems like every year goes by in a blur. Between the new collections, familiar faces, fantastic parties, and beautiful design, it can be difficult to take everything in just three short days. So, in case you didn’t make it to Suite 394 or NeoCon 2016, we created a quick recap to share […]

Looking to the Past for New Product Inspiration – Interview with John Kaloustian

John Kaloustian

In preparation for NeoCon, I got the chance to talk with industrial designer, John Kaloustian, about his latest seating collection for Grand Rapids Chair, called Reece. Kaloustian, an accomplished industrial designer from Detroit, designed Reece for commercial dining spaces. Reece features a separate wood seat and back, steel frame, and exposed mechanisms like bolts and […]

Restaurant Design Trend: The Modern Windsor Chair

Windsor Chair 18th Century

What’s that quote? “Everything old is new again.” Like most of us that follow design trends, we know that style obsessions wax, wane, and ultimately get replaced every season. Good design, however, always stands the test of time. Like white walls and Bentwood Chairs, their existence can be traced throughout history and their impact across cultural lines. […]

Design-It-Yourself Custom Laminate From Formica

Custom Laminate Design Using Formica Envisualizer Tool

Creating a great brand experience in your client’s quick serve or fast casual restaurant comes down to the details, and for years we’ve been in awe of the beautifully creative wall murals and bold flooring choices that have dominated the scene.  Thanks to technology there are more ways than ever to create personalized products for […]