MAY 2015 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • 65
Editor's Note: Facility design projects
featured each month are automatically
entered into the Facility Design Project
of the Year competition. If you would like
to submit a project for consideration,
please contact Joe Carbonara at joe@
zoombagroup.com.
FE&S; thanks the following foodservice professionals for generously
contributing their time to judge this year's competition:
Bill Davis, Edward Don & Company, St. Louis
Paul A. Mackesey, FCSI, Mackesey and Associates, LLC, Madison, Wis.
Philip C. Mott, Kendall College, Chicago
Kristin Sedej, FCSI, S2O Consultants Inc., Chicago
The name "Beatrix" holds sentimental
meaning for legendary Chicago
restaurateur Richard Melman, LEYE's
founder and chairman, and his wife,
Martha, who both called their mothers
"Bea." "Beatrix" in Latin means voyager or
traveler, which refers to the guests the
restaurant serves, including visitors
staying at the Aloft Hotel, as well as
neighborhood residents.
Clockwise from left: A full-service bar holds bottles in
temperature-controlled refrigerators. To the left is the cofee
and juice bar. The diverse seating invites customers to stop
into the restaurant for a quick bite or sit-down experience.
The decor features exposed wood beams and ductwork and
large concrete pillars rising 11 feet to unfnished ceilings that
complement the interior design of Aloft Hotel.
The kitchen is at least partially visible to guests from all parts
of the restaurant. The space feels like a living room with its
eclectic mix of leather armchairs and colorful couches and
pillows. Diners who prefer more traditional seats position
themselves in mid-height backed chairs at wood tables.
The Wi-Fi–enabled space allows guests to use laptops
and other devices during their stay. Some lighting comes
from daylight streaming through the windows bracketing
two sides of the restaurant. The space also features
incandescent pendant lighting.
Cofee from two commercial roasting companies, organic hot
tea, fresh-squeezed juice and house-made pastries compel
customers to return repeatedly. Equipment includes blenders,
refrigerators, cofee grinders and brewers.