photography by canary grey

This cafe and retail space was a project of thoughtfully packaging new ideas into an old space.

Our design concept echoed the logic of an Asian market where products imported require re-labeling. We chose to lean into this repackaging, taking the existing space and wrapping it with new finishes capable of carrying the goods and items for sale. In this way, the space and items inside present the products and flavors of Asian and Asian American goods to a Minnesota audience in a new way.

Pegboard and plywood paneling add warmth and updated the walls throughout the perimeter of the space. A draped fabric and light 2×2 wood structure built by keep bounces light deep into the floor space. The previous tenant had left large banks of cabinetry which we gave a panelized facelift and reused. Rolling retail tables were custom designed by Keep and built by Potluck featuring some custom joinery mimicking the dots and pops of the pegboard.