Palmer and her team worked with partners to deliver a highly curated café operation
associate principal at FoodSpace, partnered with AP+I Design to deliver a barista- centric front of house and a compact, highly efficient back of house on a brisk schedule. “We kicked off October 17, 2023, and on October 4, 2024, we received our final health inspection,” Palmer says. Her team was brought on by AP+I to design and build a serving counter and supporting kitchen for café-style coffee drinks, baked goods, flatbreads, soups, salads and sides – all supported by a nearby commissary kitchen. Te café serves office tenants, including One Workplace, with the flexibility to support happy hour and small events. “Te client wanted a highly curated
operation with most items on plates and less in to-go boxes,” Palmer says. “Tey wanted a high-touch operation very focused on the interaction between the baristas, the service staff and the employees – an environment where employees could come in and grab something really tasty and delicious, but that also has the flexibility to do some catering and events.”
A STREAMLINED APPROACH B
ishop Ranch in San Ramon, California – long a flagship office campus by Sunset Development – is transforming into a mixed-use
district with housing, retail and hospitality. Te development will support ‘15-minute lifestyles’, an urban planning concept whereby people should be able to access most essentials within 15 minutes walking or cycling from home. Within the Orchards redevelopment (the former Chevron Park), Flourish functions as a hospitality-forward work café and lounge, serving tenants and the surrounding community with specialty coffee, pastries and a curated daytime menu. FCSI Senior Associate Renee Palmer,
Te barista and service bar serves as the project’s focal point. On the surface it seems simple and straightforward, but the finished product required detailed coordination between the architect, glass provider, and equipment manufacturers to ensure a sleek, functional fit. “It was definitely a collaboration, working with AP+I and the manufacturers to make sure everything fit and was seamless,” she says. Te team specified Modbar undercounter
pour-over and espresso systems with surface taps for a clean look. Tat part of the counter integrates with the rest of the line, which includes an undercounter induction unit with a stone top and interchangeable LTI hot/cold wells to hold salads, parfaits, flatbreads, paninis and fries. Given the embedded induction and FOH heat loads, the team chose Dekton (a
porcelain-type surfacing). “We went with undercounter induction without trivets and chafing dishes for a more streamlined approach,” Palmer says. A custom-built glass display case doubles as a sneeze guard. “We coordinated with BSI to see what’s most efficient to get food in and out – and ended up going with an open back, so the operator could reach through and stock the food,” Palmer says. Even the back bar had to fit the
architect’s style. “We had to work closely with the architect to ensure that the back bar refrigeration matched the surrounding millwork, versus just having stainless steel doors,” Palmer says. “Everything is done offsite at the
commissary and brought on site with very limited cooking – but every inch has a job,” Palmer says. Te compact, 380-square- foot kitchen, with a pass-through window to the front counter, focuses on finishing and speed. “Te back of house is really for rethermalization, using double-stacked combi ovens, and we sourced a ventless fryer for housemade chips.” Palmer’s team also specified two
refrigerated prep tables for sandwich and salad building, a panini press, and perimeter equipment with a mobile prep cart in the center. “Given the tightness of the space, we had to get creative with layout,” she says. Reflecting on the work, Palmer says
it was “a true testament to our ability to partner up and collaborate with the architects on the project and deliver what the client wanted”.
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