HAZELWOOD ST. LOUIS PARK: FURNITURE THAT MAKES A STATEMENT
Location:
Minneapolis, MN
Scope:
Furniture
Hazelwood’s St. Louis Park location features a focal point in the dining area – a large walnut table strikes your eye as soon as you enter the restaurant. The uniquely shaped table is ten feet long and four feet wide, designed specifically for this location. The architect’s goal was a community table that would allow for seating large groups, as well as making it possible for smaller groups to sit along the table in a variety of seating arrangements.
Boelter worked with a trusted furniture manufacturer, BGD Companies, to help bring the architect’s table design to life and make it fit perfectly within the space. It took Boelter’s team coordinating a few steps, including getting the design file from the architect to BGD, where the manufacturer made a cardboard pattern. Then Bill Ziegler, director contract & design, Boelter, set up the cardboard prototype on table bases and penciled in changes, including reshaping the sides, to make it fit within the space.
Taking the extra step of making a template underscores the value of having Boelter’s team of experts involved in the furniture sourcing of foodservice operations. Thanks to years of experience within the industry and longstanding relationships with manufacturers, the Boelter team anticipates challenges and works ahead to make sure all the steps of the process run smoothly, from design to installation.
Designed to Meet the Client’s Goals
Boelter originally came into the Hazelwood project on the foodservice equipment side, and the client decided to expand the job to include furniture as well. At that point the design had been drawn up by an outside firm with lovely furniture choices, but the pieces were coming from eight different vendors. Ziegler consolidated everything through one vendor, while still maintaining the integrity of the original design. Other advantages to the consolidation included:
Foodservice grade materials. Ziegler worked with the manufacturer to find fabrics and vinyls that stayed true to the original design while being able to hold up to the wear and tear of a busy dining room.
Ability to customize designs. The restaurant opened shortly after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, and with the pandemic close at hand the client wanted partitions between booths for added safety. Ziegler and BGD designed freestanding barriers that could be removed for more openness or returned if necessary. In the end, the client kept most of the barriers to help create a sense of privacy between booths.
Efficient installation. BGD bought some of the frames and chairs from outside vendors, and then brought them in-house to assemble and stain the products. The coordination meant everything was in one place at the time of installation, so delivering and setting up furniture only took a total of two days and was done by one installation team.
A hands-on approach, coupled with expert knowledge of the foodservice industry, helps make Boelter a perfect partner for designing dining spaces and sourcing furnishings, and the results at Hazelwood provide a great example.
