Tikka Twist

Case Study

Modern lifestyle meets traditional cuisine in a casual, unique setting that delivers big on both design and functionality.

Tikka Twist is a new Indian restaurant in Lee’s Summit that specializes in made-to-order, healthy Indian street food featuring fast-casual service. The owner, Nash Patel, and chef Prem wanted a space that was reflective of Indian culture, functional for fast-paced service, warm, inviting, and fun.

The goal of their project was to marry traditional, casual Indian cuisine with a modern American format, answering the needs of today’s fast-paced world with healthy, delicious food and to-go meals served fast and fresh. This goal required a particular spatial organization, where the space could function as a fast-food restaurant during the day and a casual hangout space at night.

The restaurant itself is housed in a tenant-finish space of about 1,962 square feet. However, the layout was proportionally long and narrow, which posed some specific design challenges for us. In the end, nearly 950 square feet was dedicated to dining space, allowing for 35 seats at a variety of low and high seating, bar seating, and private tables.



The Ask


The clients approached us looking for a fun and functional space that would support their restaurant’s business model while providing a unique dining experience for their patrons. Inspired by restaurants with a similar layout, they desired a quick-service style layout that would comfortably accommodate a consistent flow of traffic through the space.

The most significant design challenge was in supporting the human circulation necessary for the space to function at peak service times. Additionally, we needed to design a live, open kitchen. Indian cuisine requires a large number of fresh ingredients and a lot of ongoing preparation, leaving limited space for the kitchen itself. Prep areas needed to be screened from the dining area seamlessly while remaining functional. To achieve a layout that would answer all of their needs, we produced many design iterations before arriving at the best possible solution.

We were already familiar with the building, as we had, in the past, worked with the building owner on other projects. Based on this relationship, we were recommended to the client as a firm that could assist them with all aspects of getting their project designed and permitted.

The client initially prepared the conceptual layout of the restaurant. For the brewery itself, the equipment was pre-selected and laid out according to logistical requirements and the brewer's preferences.

We prepared the final design documents and the construction documents to submit for permitting. Our role was first to ensure that their equipment would all fit into the space and then to design the services around that. This entailed accounting for all of the interactions that would occur in the building, including the customer journey as well as the core activities of cooking, hospitality, and the brewing itself.

The
Solution


Based on our initial conversations, we provided the partners with several conceptual alternatives. We collaborated closely with the client to devise the most functional and suitable layout that their space would allow.

Using 3D modeling technology, the space planning was translated to a visual format so that the client could experience their restaurant design in a virtual reality walkthrough. B+A thoughtfully guided the client through each design feature to hone design concepts, select finishes, finalize the furniture layout and selection, and craft a beautiful lighting design. Based on their comments and feedback, we augmented the design and leveraged a variety of visual aids to help the clients visualize their space until they were 100 percent satisfied with the result.

The
Results


The finished restaurant space came together quite nicely. We used a wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring, a durable flooring choice that is both beautiful and practical in terms of care while invoking a warm, rich environment for the patrons.

Concrete panels were used on the walls along with modern LED cloud lighting, giving the space a clean, contemporary, and modern feel that tips the hat to chef Prem’s modern approach to traditional Indian food. The concrete panels are accented with rusticated, dappled white brick, lending an inviting and rustic vibe. The warm leather tones of the solid surface counters give the space an extra boost of warmth and coziness to remind us that the space is casual.

As a side note, our concrete wall panel rep tells us that Tikka Twist was their first installation in the Kansas City metro area, making it a truly innovative space, unlike any other in the region.

In the end, our clients enjoyed thorough and thoughtful service, together with a design process that took care of their needs from the first inkling of a design concept to the moment they opened their doors for business.

Starting with the initial consultation, we cultivated a relationship of trust with the clients and advocated for them through the entire construction process. In our estimation, the relationship with the client and their ultimate satisfaction are the greatest rewards we could hope to achieve.


Photo Credits: Tikka Twist