Exposed brick, warm lighting, and the smell of fresh coffee — a neighborhood café done right.
Grounded Coffee Co. wanted their second location to feel like the neighborhood's living room — a place you linger, not just grab-and-go. The space was a raw shell with beautiful exposed brick walls that previous tenants had covered with drywall.
Industrial-warm. We stripped the drywall to reveal the original brick, then softened everything around it. Warm pendant lighting at multiple heights, a custom oak counter with a brass espresso machine rail, and banquette seating in cognac leather. The floor is poured concrete with a warm-toned sealer. Plants trail from shelves and the bar — the biophilic touch that keeps the industrial edge from feeling cold.
Full design and build-out: space planning, custom counter design, lighting plan, furniture sourcing, plant installation, and styling. We designed the flow so the queue wraps past the seating area, not through it — keeping the two zones peaceful.
A café that regulars call "the good one." The brick wall is the backdrop for every Instagram post, but the real win is dwell time — customers stay 40% longer than at their first location, and coffee sales per square foot are double.