Coffee shop transformation
Argentinian restaurant gets fast tracked
A “fast good” restaurant serving Argentinian food has sprouted up in Montreal. The concept germinated from a hybrid of fast service and casual dining, with a tint of Argentinian spice.
The Pachamama Empanadas restaurant project faced a tight schedule and was designed on a very tight budget, according to Marie Eve Issa, founder and project director of Montreal, Que.-based ISSADESIGN. The challenge was to create a lively space with colours and textures inspired by the South American country, but in an 18th century building.
“I think it was a coffee shop and maybe a bakery at different times,” according to Issa. “You could see the brick wall and the old decorative columns — the store was in really bad shape.”
The young restaurant owner and entrepreneur needed to put all of the money in design so he could operate the restaurant in a hurry. “We started the project in December and opened mid-March,” says Issa. “This included all of the design, all of the drawings, construction, everything. Just for the construction was about two and 1/2 weeks.”
With the input of the owner, who is from the mountainous northern region of Argentina, colours such as green, yellow and orange dominate the pallete. “He wanted it to look like a fast food restaurant but with a cozy twist. Fast food but still good.”
Because of the sparse budget, Issa tried to keep some of the things that were already in place in the 1,095 square foot space. The project was also outwardly environmental friendly. “We used a paint that is VOC free and our notes to the construction team state to use environmentally friendly materials. The cabinets don’t have VOC or urea formaldehyde materials and the gyprock was recycled.
“We wanted to keep the mosaic floor but that was too expensive,” says Issa. “The contractor said it was in such bad shape anything on it would cause it to break apart. The landlord said it was in good shape and wouldn’t spend money on it.”
Issa painted the existing surface with an epoxy, a technique she’d employed in another project and describes it as a local solution that has a “major wow effect.”
“After the end of the winter and summer it still looks good,” says Issa. “The outline of the old floor comes through the epoxy. You get texture with the old grout lines — good old crooked floors.”
Upon entering the space now, a long banquette accented with Argentinian pillows highlights an old brick wall, defining the historical past of the building.
Two intimate banquettes near the window allow friends and foodies to gather and join the ongoing festivities of the Gay Village neighborhood. The open view onto the kitchen let consumers admire the handcrafting of empanadas before indulging their order.
The owner is “super happy,” says Issa.
“They are getting so much attention from the media and bloggers. He can’t stop telling us how he wants to open a new one and work with us again.”