Designwell was approached by The River Kitchen to design their new and improved cafe space to accommodate additional patrons in Hamilton, New Zealand.

The much celebrated River Kitchen Cafe in Hamilton was running out of room and approached us to design a new, larger space that challenged the notion of your typical kiwi “cafe”. With no food cabinet, the vision for fresh, local fare made just-in-time set the standard for table service and a space that could flex from breakfast through to fine dining in the evenings. A stripping back of the existing site exposed a rich heritage of brick, native flooring and preserved ceiling decoration – with these elements forming the foundation for the interior. The strong arch of teal tiles and lighting elements draw patrons down to the showcase – the lovely owner Maria, who can be found crafting exquisite pastries and cakes for the “jewelry boxes” that sit behind the shared table.

Design: Designwell Photography: courtesy of Designwell

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