Save Room! – Designing a New Restaurant in the Country

I am always surprised when I see a new restaurant open that made no effort to create an inviting space for the dining experience. Even the most casual and humble of places need a bit of ambience. Sure, FOOD is the prime focus of any restaurant, but it’s the entire experience that makes people want to come back for more.

Fortunately, the CrossRoads Food Shop, in Hillsdale, NY has the food thing down. Chef David Wurth is a master cook, with a special interest in farm-to-table fare. His concoctions have that classic connection to tastes we love, yet he imparts a special twist to each dish he creates.

What he didn’t have was the time or ability to design a space on his own to reflect his culinary sensibilities. The room needed to be casual and inviting, yet with a few visual surprises that expressed the authenticity and local flavors of his food.

Because his restaurant is in the same building as my General Store, I was eager to help. I found a fantastic pair of zinc doors from an early 20th century factory, these helped define a “rural-industrial” look that I felt was a good fit. Barn lighting, bead-board wainscoting and simple tables and chairs fleshed out the unpretentious look.

The bar was created using a zinc top and faced with reclaimed boards found in the attic of the circa 1855 building. Finally, I created wallpaper from a hand-drawn 1958 Hillsdale map that was found on Ebay.

The result is a cozy place for people to gather for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The delicious, and always fresh food of one of America’s best (and nicest) farm-to-table chefs, fits perfectly into the space that truly reflects what the CrossRoads Food Shop is all about.

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