Bar Mezzana: New Restaurant Construction

The Client

Bar Mezzana is a coastal Italian restaurant located at the up-and-coming Ink Block in Boston’s dynamic South End neighborhood. The new Italian-inspired eatery, which is owned by partners Chef Colin Lynch, General Manager Heather Lynch and Jefferson Macklin, opened in the summer of 2016. The restaurant thus far has been a wildly successful addition to Boston’s culinary scene.

In planning their very first dining establishment together, the trio of restaurateurs hired Cafco Construction Management to serve as the general contractor of the construction project. Known throughout the region as a premier restaurant-space contractor, officials at Cafco engaged architects and interior design experts at Studio DRAW to assist with the design of the new restaurant space. Here’s how Parterre helped designers at Studio DRAW achieve the desired look and feel within the new dining establishment.

The Challenge

The owners aspired to create a modern and relaxed restaurant space reminiscent of the airy and eclectic Mediterranean aesthetic inspired by the classic travel posters of Italy in the 1950s. The challenge, however, involved designers working to create the desired look out of what was at first a raw interior made of all concrete. While the space was already fit up for a restaurant, the design team from Studio DRAW was tasked with literally starting from scratch. Part of the challenge was to remain true to the desired design aesthetic while transforming the space into a truly comfortable dining spot.

“The clients wanted a place that was bright and comfortable that always felt like you were on the Mediterranean coast — no matter what time of year it was,” said Aaron Weinert, AIA, Principal of Studio DRAW.

Originally, Weinert said the plan was to use porcelain tile for flooring throughout the entire restaurant space. However, further analysis of cost and style considerations sent the design team in the direction of Parterre.

The Solution

Parterre’s luxury vinyl flooring product provided not only the earthy aesthetic the design team was hoping to achieve in the restaurant’s dining room area, it also allowed for a more durable flooring solution in an area that is commonly prone to heavy foot traffic and plenty of spills.

“We wanted flooring that was durable, but also added a warmer feeling to the dining room,” said Weinert.

Conclusion

In an effort to create the casual dining experience requested by the restaurant owners, the design team at Studio DRAW selected Lancaster Weathered from Parterre’s InGrained Resilient Plank collection, a beautifully aged and weathered wood grain design. The luxury vinyl flooring product provided a simple and clean rustic design element to complement the palette of light stone interior wall elements.

The wood-look flooring appears so real that Weinert said diners don’t even know the difference.

“It looks fantastic and completely natural,” he said. “Most people don’t even think twice about what it is.”

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