Photo credit: Eric Wolfinger
Working in partnership with architectural firm the Martin Group, Shawmut converted an existing restaurant to house the seasonal California cuisine of chef-partner Greg Kuzia-Carmel of Per Se, Cotogna, and Quince in San Francisco, partner Roland Passot, a top French culinary chef, and partner Logan Levant of Los Angeles’s Buttercake Bakery. The result is a polished casual concept that has become part of the community.
Excerpt from restaurant development + design
“One of the nice things about Camper is you do not even have to walk in to feel the presence of the space. It’s very open to the community, there are full glass windows all the way around,” says Wesley Taggett [project manager at Shawmut].
These windows, noted Taggett, aren’t new. The space’s previous occupant, a traditional steakhouse, had the same windows but covered them with various treatments, including blinds and shutters. To open up the space, the designers simply removed these elements.
The restaurant takes this openness to the community up a notch with its display kitchen. This space, where staff make fresh pasta, is not just visible to guests. It also features an exterior window allowing people walking by to look in and see the action.
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Upon entering the restaurant, guests find a relaxed and approachable space, yet still higher-end. Most chairs are hardwood, while chairs at a large community table are made of black rattan. The flooring in the dining room is a stained oak, while the wooden beams overhead are also oak, though stained in a darker shade. These beams, notes Taggett, help define the area’s high ceiling height, contributing to the open ambience.