Talk a little about the architectural details of the project. What are some of the things you are really excited about, and what does the building’s design say about your approach to the business (or life, in general)?
The beauty of the space is that it was already a basic shell, perfect square and easy to sketch out. We took our initial drawings and thoughts to Rob and Kassia Zinn at the Office of Architecture and Design (OAD) in 5 Points, and they helped design a really great layout. It’s simple and super functional and geared to be busy (as any good sandwich shop should be), but warm and clean and with definite nods to the South and river life (or as you all say here, Salt Life). We have a lot of play with color and texture, and we are emphasizing our love for the outdoors with potential roll ups, opening up of the ceilings, a living wall (which will evolve) and an amazing patio / “dining lawn” and green space where what is now a parking lot. The outdoor overhead screening and shade system is by far our favorite design element and nothing like we’ve seen in JAX. We are hoping that the neighborhood really embraces it for family dining– and we are including a small bike parking area (and we plan to offer discounts to folks who bike in for meals). We love reclaimed woods and vintage tiles (both being used), but we also all agreed that we wanted to modernize that in the form of newer fixtures and modern furniture elements and (can we get a what for comfortable) lighting. But at the end of the day, our ultimate design is in the food and however the space evolves, it will all compliment that first and foremost.
In developing The Bread & Board for 5 Points, we have been focused on the menu and sharing our food with the neighborhood and we’ve allowed the design elements to simply and naturally evolve, be a little quirky, and have leaned on OAD to pull that piece together (with us). We love “found” pieces, but aren’t aren’t necessarily the garage sale types and always default to functionality. We love rustic, and modern, reclaimed and new, and we joke that the space is a bit “modern golden girls” … and we love that. It might ultimately describe how we approach our business and especially our service and food. We want our guests to feel and enjoy all the modernity of the space and conveniences we hope to build in to the restaurant– but we’ll wrap it up with sick hospitality and ultimate comfort in our food.
