Best Limited-Service Restaurant Design
WINNER: The Crack Shack, Century City, Calif.
- Owner: Michael Rosen
- General Contractor: Shawmut Design and Construction, Los Angeles
- Architect: PGAL (formerly Bluemotif Architecture), San Diego
- FF&E Designers: Valletta Design Group, San Diego
- MEP Engineers: CRO Engineering, Huntington Beach, Calif.
- Structural Engineer: Englekirk Structural Engineers, Los Angeles
- Kitchen Design and Installation: TriMark, Irvine, Calif.
- AV/IT Team: Paradise Infotech & Automation, San Diego
- Mural Designs: Matt Forderer, San Diego
- Exterior Signage: Coast Sign Incorporated, Anaheim, Calif.
From its Moet & Chandon vending machine to its playful use of art, the 5,186-square-foot Crack Shack mixes rustic farmhouse with whimsical grace notes to serve its mix of “better” chicken and egg menu items. High ceilings and tall windows let natural light deep into the dining room where murals are “chickenized” satires of famous works of art and pop cultural iconography. The judges felt this concept was “fresh, irreverent” thanks to the design team’s “repurposing of old materials like the decorative block on the bar.” The judges also like the concept’s fresh approach to the restaurant’s art.
Images courtesy of Stephen Whalen Photography
Honorable Mention: Pono Ono Poke, Evanston, Ill.
- Owner/Operator: Jack DeMar, Evanston, Ill.
- Architect/Designer: Aria Group Architects, Inc., Oak Park, Ill.
- General Contractor: Hudson Construction, Chicago
- MPE Engineers: BTR Engineering, Oak Park, Ill.
- LLC Millworker: EJ Industries, Chicago
The project team took a 2,100-square-foot dank concrete space that once housed a flower shop and transformed it into a restaurant accented with warm wood and delicate live greenery. It received a mention from the judges due to its “fresh, clean design.”
Image courtesy of Emilia Czader