A restaurant situated on the ground floor of Manchester’s House of Fraser store, as soon as we secured this project, we knew our restaurant design team had to come up with a concept and design layout which could provide an efficient dining experience to those scheduling a quick stop into their shopping day, as well as somewhere that diners could immerse themselves in and feel a sense of relaxation.
The Cicchetti brand is built on Italian dining and encompasses the value of community and family as part of the dining experience – with long bench seating along one side and more intimate tables breaking up the main central space. Blending the natural wood setting with the light blue chairs and white marble table tops, the aesthetic design of the restaurant floor is largely very modern – with the entire room benefitting from warm lighting which is directed onto each table.
As is often the case when it comes to building and designing an Italian family-style restaurant, wine and ingredients form a core part of the design and décor – with lemons and bottles of wine both adding extra personality and design flair to the setting. Aside from that, however, the interior design of the restaurant is largely very simple and timeless in its style – allowing the food to really shine.
Finally, our restaurant design team were tasked with creating a way for the restaurant to look inviting and welcoming from the shop floor, but without shoppers and passers-by impeding on the experience of diners. The large stretch of windows separating the restaurant from the shop floor meant that access was easy, with our team fitting adjustable blinds to these windows so as to allow light and atmosphere to shine through without spoiling the intimate experience of diners.
Creating and designing a restaurant inside a store is not always easy, especially when you have to find a balance between creating a welcoming environment and still presenting diners with the luxury of privacy and intimacy. This project saw us use a combination of lighting and the warm colour palette to create a family friendly, enticing place to enjoy the best of Italian dining – freshly made in store.
