How Architangent Helped Common Bond Expand Across Houston with Award-Winning Restaurant Designs
When it comes to achieving the ideal balance of interior design and brand strategy for restaurants, no two locations are alike. For Common Bond, a prominent bakery based in Houston, expanding its reach across the city necessitated a smart, creative approach that remained true to the brand while serving the demands of other areas. That's where Architangent stepped in.
In this article, we'll look at how we tackled Common Bond's restaurant brand development, resulting in award-winning design and three unique approaches based on service type. From downtown sophistication to communal vibes in the Heights, here's how we did it.
Understanding the Challenges of Multi-Location Restaurant Design.
Expanding from a single site to numerous locations is more than just putting a logo on the door and calling it quits. For a company like Common Bond, which prides itself on providing a wide array of cuisine to its visitors, we needed to design each restaurant to connect with its community while still feeling like it was part of the Common Bond brand.
The goal? To develop a cohesive multi-location brand strategy that allows each site to stand out while maintaining a similar design language across all locations. That meant introducing three distinct concepts formed around the service type while retaining the essence of what made Common Bond unique.
Our three-tier solution includes fast casual, fine dining, and on-the-go.
Every market is different. So we created a three-tier architectural and interior design concept that could be easily tailored to the site, service type, and target demographic. This strategy not only helped to speed the design process, but also assured that each Common Bond restaurant provided something unique to its customers.
Here's the breakdown:
Fast-Casual Bistro: For those seeking the Common Bond experience in a relaxed atmosphere with quick service.
Fine-Dining Brasserie: For those looking for a full-service restaurant with an elegant menu and setting.
Drive-Thru On-the-Go: For consumers who require quality meals on the go without sacrificing flavor or convenience.
Common Bond Downtown: Fine Dining Meets Modern Design.
The Common Bond Downtown site in downtown Houston served as the brand's flagship project for its fine-dining brasserie concept. This site, located inside a Class-A office building, needs to provide breakfast, business lunches, happy hour, and dinner.
With a full-service dining room, bar, bakery counter, and private dining area, the interior design needed to be both adaptable and coherent. We drew on Common Bond's original Montrose aesthetic while adding a modern twist with a multi-colored palette, streamlined seating arrangements, and adaptable architecture that allows for diverse dining experiences throughout the day.
This restaurant design not only captures the vibrant energy of downtown Houston, but it also keeps loyal to the Common Bond brand that patrons know and love.
Common Bond City Place: Where Fast Casual Meets Style.
City Place, located in Springwoods Village, is a thriving professional community with growing residential areas. So, when we designed the Common Bond City Place location, we had to consider both quick-lunch customers and those looking for a pleasant post-work cocktail.
Our solution was to create a fast-casual restaurant with versatile seating and a comfortable bar area. The interior's warm tones and relaxed ambiance make it inviting while maintaining a refined vibe. We pulled essential design elements from the downtown Brasserie to retain brand continuity while ensuring that the layout and seating arrangements were appropriate for this high-traffic location.
Common Bond Heights: A Neighborhood Vibe to Win
We confronted a different difficulty at Common Bond Heights, which is located in the Houston Heights neighborhood. The facility was half-completed when our team was brought on board, and the design did not fit the brand's identity. After a brand strategy workshop and some creative problem-solving, we turned things around.
This location is ideal for families, those who work from home, and those who enjoy the Heights' relaxed atmosphere. We adopted a front-porch, community-focused design, complete with raw wood trellises, informal-style seating, and a big outdoor dining space ideal for Houston's mild weather days.
The Heights location also has a historical component—it is housed in a landmark building, so we kept significant aspects like the original concrete floors and overhead trolley system while adding modern touches.
Award-Winning Restaurant Designs: Recognized For Excellence
Our efforts were recognized by our peers and critics alike. The Common Bond Downtown location earned us multiple accolades, including the Paper City Design Award 2021 and the Houston Business Journal Landmark Award 2021. These awards recognize not only the design's excellence, but also how well each venue connected with its guests.
We assisted Common Bond in expanding and thriving around Houston by combining intelligent interior design with a thorough grasp of the restaurant brand and market needs.
Why Architangent?
Architangent specializes in providing bespoke, scalable designs for businesses aiming to grow. Whether it's a multi-location restaurant like Common Bond or a single retail space in need of a makeover, we use a strategic approach that blends creative quality with practical solutions. With over 80% of clients returning, it's reasonable to assume we're doing something right.
Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Contact us today to talk about how we might help you realize your goal.
