ChiLantro at Burnet
ChiLantro began as a food truck on the streets of Austin. The restaurant entrepreneur wanted guests to come in and have "great food and great conversations", so we took that and ran with this concept: INSPIRED.
Keeping the finishes a bit raw, like their journey on the open road in a truck, we used birch plywood, studs, raw steel, white subway tile and orange colored cord pendants to create a simple, yet colorfully whimsy space. The design is as casual and authentic as the food served. Guests are handed a white subway tile with a number for their food order. At the table, they find 2x4 stud table toppers wrapped with "Inspired" questions, to strike thought-provoking conversation over their meal. Guests laugh as they answer "Are you inspired by Taylor Swift" and "What BOOK are you most inspired by?"
With exception of the white West Elm metal chairs and the wooden Wisteria barstools, all furniture in the space was designed by Kim Lewis Designs and custom made by Five Built and Doreck Design
Reclaimed wood for the wall shown here was pulled from a 1960s midcentury home in East Austin by our friends at This Old Wood.
On the focal wall, a mural with the word INSPIRED sets the tone of the space, connecting the exposed bulb sconces. Each orange column has a subtle theme relating to the table topper questions...Music, Art/Photography, Travel. Accessories nostalgically engage the customer, evoking a few comforts of home.
To complete the space, we held an art event where local Austin guests were given a wooden plate, a paint pen and a question to answer. We created 5 large canvases of wall art for the hallway with inspired answers from all walks of life. Guests were encouraged to be creative and be an artist for the day! ChiLantro donated 10% of sales for the Touch A Life Art Center for Rapha House in Cambodia during 2016.