We Are Humble was asked to create nostalgia for the Operator Diner, accomplishing the effect through colors, materials, seating styles, and the kitchen as a centerpiece.

Operator Diner – an extension of the Operator brand with its hallmark café Operator 25 located on Wills St in the North of the CBD – sees the Operator brand take a foray into ‘breakfast, coffee and sandwiches’ for a hungry business crowd. Located in the ground floor of the new Wesley precinct between Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale Street, the diner is set to be your new lunchtime go-to.

Designed with nostalgia and comfort in mind, the space draws from the imagery of classic American diners. Evoking the feeling of a place you can visit at any time of day where you will be greeted with good hot coffee, a tasty sandwich and a smile.

The space creates pockets of seating framed by low walls and outlined by a grid of contrasting tiled flooring. A line of upholstered booth seating runs down the centre of the space defining the dine in and take away zones. The gridded pattern on the floor wraps up the walls to the ceiling, tying the whole space together with continuous linear lines of warm orange and brown tones. The warm colour tones, inspired by a retro 70’s palette, are a constant through the space and branding. The space is, of course, anchored by a classic open stainless-steel kitchen topped by large glowing lightboxes reminiscent of a cinema marquee displaying the days specials.

The design utilises a mix of materials, from a hard tiled floor to warm timber wall lining with a bright painted ceiling that disappears into high level mirrors. The geometry and graphic nature of the gridded lines connects these somewhat contrasting materials to create one gesture throughout the whole space.

Design: We Are Humble Photography: Peter Clarke

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