@work: Designer dining
If you've downed a Sauza Blanco at hip, urban Barrio, a Minnesota roll from Crave's new American menu or a quick work-night bite at the "neighborhoody" Loring Kitchen and Bar, you already know the work of Minneapolis-based design firm Shea.
You probably were having too much fun to notice that no detail gets overlooked when Shea is on the case. Everything gets careful consideration, from a restaurant's name and logo to the way the menu looks and the greeting you get.
"What we specialize in is creating consumer experiences," Shea principal Tanya Spaulding said of restaurants, retailers, small hotels and other clients. "What makes us a little bit unique is that we look at it from all points of contact. We understand the brand and we execute it perfectly in its environment so it's a consistent experience for customers."
Founder David Shea launched the firm 30 years, creating what Spaulding called a strategic interaction between interior design and architecture.
The acquisition of a graphic design firm 15 years ago made Shea a full-service communications and design firm. The staff includes graphic and environmental designers, architects, interior designers and veterans of retail and visual merchandising and restaurant operations.
"We're not order takers," Spaulding said. "We're very much a partnership with our clients to create a successful business for them. We bring the brands to life."
Three and out w/ Shea’s Tanya Spaulding
What's changing at restaurants?
Over the last five years, we've seen the dining trends go more casual. Even if it's a higher price point, customers are looking for a more casual, comfortable experience.
Bar or table?
People like to have a full dining experience at a comfortable bar as much as they do a table. So [at Crave] we designed a bar that could serve as both a great place for a drink and a few appetizers, or a full meal.
How are diners coping with the recession?
Maybe they're not ordering the more expensive bottle of wine and maybe they're sharing plates.
- If you work for a kick-ass company, e-mail Will Martin at will@vita.mn, and you or your company may be featured. @work is a Vita.mn destination, online and in print, which takes a weekly look at people and places in the arts and entertainment industry. It is produced by the Vita.mn Marketing Group.
