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Casual Eatery Design for Food, Drink & Community

New Yorkers like me have a compelling need. We need casual eateries for a cup of coffee or a beer, a bite to eat, or a cozy place to getaway from the daily chaotic pace of the city. These are places where we can be comfortably alone, with family or with friends.

I’ve watched the evolution of these eateries which has been driven by creative eatery entrepreneurs. Over the years,  some have grown to become  well known chains – Au Bon Pan, Starbucks, Panera, Shake Shack and Le Pain Quotidien.  The succession is marked not only by improving cuisine, but also by increasing comfort.

We have contributed much to the casual restaurant design for the food/drink/ community evolution. In fact, I was even the founder of Newsbar back in the early 1990s, a high-end coffee bar and retail space with a sleek NYC experience (way before Starbucks took the city by storm.)


City Bakery – An Urban Casual Eatery Design

From the moment you first entered City Bakery it was obvious that this is not your typical neighborhood bake shop. The owner and Chef approached us with a well-formed, unique vision.  To begin, the ever challenging narrow space which many NYC retailers must endure, was given a coolly sophisticated yet witty ambiance. A minimalist interior style was balanced by playful design elements. True to the owner’s conception, everyday items and industrial materials were utilized in new ways. An all-glass front revealed a series of white cardboard cake boxes hung in a grid-like pattern along the bakery’s main 40 foot wall. Our signature satellite tables, (black steel tables with revolving stools) provided a great place to enjoy a scone. Large bolts were used as coat hooks and menu holders. A roll of butcher paper attached to the wall scrolled down to list the day’s specials. Translucent, exterior-grade fiberglass panels separated the kitchen from the public space.

Our detailing reinforced the bakers commitment to elegant simplicity. Cakes and pastries, remarkable for their exquisite shapes and fresh color, were showcased in innovative display units that we designed.  Metal plates extended or dropped from graceful stainless steel arms that rose up at varying heights. Cakes positioned on the plates appeared to float in space, Magritte-like. Pendant television studio lights focus on the bakery selections. With City Bakery, architecture and culinary artistry combine to present each confection as a work of art.

Haven’s Kitchen – A Hub for Sustainable Eating, Cooking & Community

Haven’s Kitchen is one of Turett’s s more recent projects. We converted a 3-story turn-of-the century Manhattan carriage house into a hub for sustainable cooking and eating. It includes a professional teaching kitchen, retail space, catering/bar facilities and a rooftop chicken coop. Called Haven’s Kitchen, we found our own inspiration after completing this space.  The entire Turett team attended a pasta cooking class. Yes, we learned to cook.  Better yet,  we enjoyed what we created….with a little helpf of more than a few bottles of wine.

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