Restaurant Designers

The foundation of Chipman Design since its inception more than 30 years ago has been the specialization as  restaurant designers and retail planners.  Although firmly rooted in architecture, their interior design imagination is the fundamental core of all its projects.
 
The firm provides a full range of professional services from planning and conceptual design through construction administration to occupancy. Beyond programming and planning, Chipman Design's talented team of design professionals uses its inventiveness to conceive meaningful new uses of space, incorporating the latest in 3D computer modeling and visualization. Through its more than three decades as architects, the visionary selection of finishes and furnishings for retail, restaurant, hospitality, golf clubhouse and corporate projects has created a rich history of successful ventures.
 
Chipman Design believes that its talented architects and restaurant designers are the firm's greatest resource. As the practice has grown throughout the past three decades, it has nurtured long-standing relationships with staff as well as clients, some of whom have been with the firm for more than 20 years. Since its founding, the firm has recognized that its foremost purpose is to provide exceptional as restaurant designers, prototype developers and brand designers.
 
Evident in an inspired list of successful retail and restaurant design clients, the firm offers unique solutions that respond to demands for inspiration in design, functionality in operation and market responsiveness.  Developing strategies for simplifying project complexities, its experienced restaurant designers are particularly adept at focusing on the design of an efficient, quality kitchen at the restaurant's core and the layout of retail space geared to both merchandising and graphic appeal.  Client brand remains the foundation of all conceptual development, assuring creation of a prototype that is true to the corporate ideal while remaining sufficiently flexible for rollout adaptations.  Responding to green initiatives, both Principals and staff hold LEED AP professional registrations, recognizing the significance of sustainability in thoughtful design and its long-term potential for efficient retail and restaurant operation.

Founding Principal John Chipman began creating a new direction for his father's retail interior design firm in 1979 when he joined the small Chicago practice. Building upon an existing base of regional main-street clients, John led the firm into a position of national recognition retail designers. With the firm's retail expertise solidly established by the late 1980s, he and his new partner, Daryl Adams, began to lay the foundation for unparalleled excellence as restaurant designers. 

Expertise as Restaurant Designers

John A. Chipman earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois/Urbana, reinforcing his studies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Versailles, France, and at the Ecole Nacionale d'Art Decoratif de Nice, France. Throughout his professional life, he has travelled extensively for both business and research throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, he is a registered Architect throughout the country, maintains professional membership in the American Institute of Architect s and holds LEED AP professional registration for sustainable design.
 
Based upon two decades of a diversely successful architecture career, Dan Tessarolo brings an invaluable presence to the firm. He has managed several national accounts for Chipman Adams Architects since 2005, and his project teams have consistently demonstrated uncompromising commitment to clients' budgetary and schedule constraints.
 
Dan became a Principal of the firm in 2008, and continues to oversee his team's national accounts. With a proven record of successfully guiding concurrent multi-unit retail and restaurant design accounts, Dan excels at complex corporate project management. He is skilled at directing a prototype project through its initial concept design stages, then taking that venture through national code research and construction document phases, providing coordination with all engineering disciplines. With his practiced perspective on national corporate expansions over the years, Dan is in a unique position to play a significant role in the direction of the firm's business development programming.
 
His past professional assignments have only served to augment Dan's consummate capabilities as an architect. For eight years, he served as Vice President of an architectural studio for a design/build company that specialized in retail and restaurant prototype design. This experience became the foundation of his highly effective management style at Chipman Adams Architects, influencing his evolving capabilities in national multi-unit execution.
 
Dan earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, enhancing his architectural education by attending the Ecole d' Architecture in Versailles, France. He holds professional membership in the American Institute of Architects and is licensed to practice architecture in several states. Responding to the special needs of local projects, Dan has been qualified for Self-Certification with the City of Chicago Building Department and is also certified as a Registered City of Chicago Energy Professional.

Restaurant Designers Portfolio

Buffalo Wild Wings

A modified wait-style service offers affordable, made-to-order food with a focus on Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings, 14 signature sauces and everything from salads to appetizers that can be enjoyed inside the restaurant’s 1,500-1,600 square feet average size.

This restaurant design concept offers elements of a quick and casual dining restaurant featuring a flexible service model that allows guests to choose among convenient dining options such as quick casual counter service, casual dining table service or take-out. The open layout of the prototype models offer dining and bar areas that provide distinct seating choices to accommodate parties of various sizes.The franchise is designed to generate revenue from additional sources as well, including full bar service available 7 days a week (subject to local ordinances).  Restaurant interior design also offers an extensive multi-media system and an open layout, which appeals to sports fans and families alike.

Epic Burger

Based on the success of its first concept store in the West Loop, Epic Burger sought out Chipman Design to assist with architectural development and restaurant design of its bold metropolitan expansion program.

Frida

Located at the new shopping center, Americana at Brand, in Glendale, California, the owners of Frida wanted an authentic Mexican restaurant design with a warm and elegant environment, much like their previous four upscale locations but with some added modernity. Along with the interior designer team, Chipman Design Architecture helped make the 5,824 sq. ft. restaurant stand out with:

Curved wall feature with painted mural at bar area in the famous Mexican surrealist painter, “Frida Kahlo” style.

Illuminated glass brick bar.

Used a Nana Wall System (movable, glass curtainwall) between the patio and the dining area to open up the entire restaurant.

Large, floor-to-ceiling column light fixtures.

Chipman Design provided due diligence, schematic restaurant design, design development, construction documents and construction administration services throughout the project duration.

Restaurant Designers: Houlihan’s

Following a new prototype design established by Houlihan’s new leadership in 2002, Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc. developed a modern, warm restaurant design with a laid-back setting, an open kitchen, prominent bar, and relaxed outdoor patio.

Chipman Design Architecture provided design development, construction documents, and construction administration services to meld the prototype design with the city’s appearance guidelines and the existing development’s exterior.  To accomplish this, brick veneer was added to the building’s façade, as were custom-made awnings.  The patio was intentionally located over an existing water easement, and the trellis imitates one on the opposite side of the property’s courtyard.

Restaurant Designers: Jasons Deli

Since its founding in 1976, Jason’s Deli has become one of the fastest-growing fast casual restaurant chains in the country.  Based on a “neighborhood deli” restaurant design concept, the sandwiches-to-salads menu features a fresh array of healthy foods.

As the prototype architect, Chipman Design works with Jason’s Deli nationally on both corporate and franchisee restaurants.  These tenant improvement spaces are typically 5,000 square feet.  In addition to an ordering queue, the layouts accommodate an extensive salad bar and separate, designated counter supporting both phone-in order pickups and Jason’s extensive catering business.  Whenever possible, indoor seating is augmented by outdoor dining spaces.

Restaurant Designers: McDonald's

Chipman Design Architecture worked closely with the McDonald’s corporate architecture team in designing their flagship restaurant located in the heart of downtown Chicago. The 24,000-square foot, two-story restaurant with its twin, 60-foot tall golden arches, is modeled after the 1955 original franchise restaurant located in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Restaurant design: the interior dining area seats 300 people and is designed like a home, with the first floor representing the foyer and kitchen and the second floor consisting of a living room, dining room and family room complete with a corner “conference room”, high-tech gadgets, five decades of McDonald’s memorabilia as well as a McCafe which features specialty coffees and desserts.

In the early 1990s, Noodles & Company introduced a unique twist on fresh, flavorful food by creating a menu featuring a trio of the world’s best-loved noodle and pasta dishes within a single restaurant.  With the corporate program moving nationwide at an aggressive pace, Chipman Design has provided Prototype Management services for sites throughout the country, addressing exterior restaurant design as well as interior trade dress.  Accommodating an expanded menu, carryout and catering was added to the 80-seat restaurants, further broadening the Noodles national brand.  

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

For nearly a decade, Chipman Design has been an integral part of Red Robin Gourmet Burger’s national expansion program.  The firm has acted as Architect-of-Record for the majority of their restaurants, at the same time managing their restaurant prototype and assisting with the evolving  design of their concept.

Restaurant design: Typically more than 6,000 square feet, featuring indoor dining and bar area opening onto an outdoor patio.  The firm is currently participating in a detailed evaluation of the Red Robin restaurant prototype for submission for LEED certification.

Weber Grill

Chipman Design Architecture was commissioned for their restaurant design in Illinois and Indiana, each adding unique elements to the developing Weber dining concept. Interiors focus upon the distinctive open-display kitchens where multiple stainless Weber kettles cook at varying temperatures, with those used for searing reaching 1500 F.  The vitality of this highly visible, exhibition kitchen opens onto the expansive dining rooms. Raised lounges, Smokey Joe’s Bar and an outdoor patio with seasonal fireside dining enhance the experience.

A private dining room with state-of-the-art grilling kitchen is used for private events and cooking classes, featuring a large vented outdoor grill with cameras and flat-screens displaying chef demonstrations. Interiors of the 9,300-square foot restaurant includes a rich, warm color palette, custom lighting and historic display of Weber photographs. As architects for this concept, the firm provided complete restaurant design and branding services.