The Joys of a Structural Foodie

Perhaps it is my love of food that gives me such satisfaction when we are involved in restaurant design. Our work as structural engineers can contribute to make the restaurant a success by helping the client minimize construction costs, perhaps by devising clever structural solutions or working with the Architect to devise elegant solutions in order to realize their aesthetic vision, especially when the structure is exposed. Such is the case with Yardhouse Restaurants (nationwide), where much of the interior structure is exposed, including open steel and wood trellis elements, exposed concrete walls and patio enclosures. Our restaurant work has been as varied as my own eclectic tastes in food, from PF Chang’s (nationwide)Asian fare to the Rose Pistola’s (San Francisco) and Pasta Pomodoro’(Union City) delicious Italian food to Reposado’s (Palo Alto) savory Mexican cuisine. If you’ve travelled much, you might have seen our handiwork at the Vino Volo wine and tapas restaurant kiosks. It’s no coincidence that work was done in our office by our Associate Sicilian-American engineer, Frank Cozzitorto. I wonder if his own love of wine had anything to do with the firm securing that contract. Sometimes when I to catch that Giants at AT&T Park, I stop across the street to admire our work at Pedro’s Cantina (San Francisco) and of course enjoy a cocktail and perhaps some ceviche to go along with it. Along with a number of other restaurants, we have recently we begun work on a number of Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in California and Washington. With the Superbowl coming up, I really don’t think that’s a coincidence. I know good food when I taste it and good service when I experience it. So when I find a restaurant I like, I tend to go back. I’d like to think that our client’s know good work when they see it. Maybe that’s why they keep coming back.