Introduction

Foodlands is a restaurant brand well recognized in Muscat for its authentic Indian and continental menu. They acquired a new space of 600 sqm across two floors in Seeb in a building owned by the Lulu Group. They wanted to upgrade the existing Foodlands concept into a more design-intensive spot along with an improvised menu that would cater to a wider customer base.

Location: Seeb, Muscat

Area: 600 sqm

Type: Mix of Casual & Fine Dining

Objective

The objective was to deliver a project with a neutral design identity, one that could fit a description of being both casual dining and a fine dining restaurant. The client initially wanted only an upgraded version of their restaurant, but then the creative freedom we received paved the way to creating an entirely new design concept.

Design Narrative

The design narrative is filled with the richness of materials and the varied modes of seating. Pops of cool, warm and bright colours do decorate the different areas. Space planning was key. The restaurant is spread across two floors. The ground floor is more casual dining and the first floor is for banquets and primarily fine dining. The two experiences had to be mixed but at the same time, had to exhibit a certain homogenous feel. We connected the two kitchens on both floors using internal lifts and even provided a baby feeding and changing room for mothers.

Natural rattan is back in fashion. We incorporated it into chairs, sofas and partitions. We also selected wood species to sync with the varying shaded of rattan. This was also a project in which we got involved with kitchen design. While most designers ignore the BOH areas, we took thorough care of it so that even the restaurant staff enjoys being in the kitchen and their needs are taken care of. We used specialised lighting software to design and optimise the lighting inside the spaces. The design style used is a mix of traditional south Asian tastes and a contemporary one.