This chair concept for fast-casual restaurants comes with a coat hanger and bag tray

The way we eat outside has been changing over the past years, and fine dining and fast food are no longer the only choices available. In many parts of the world, “fast-casual” has become a popular option that combines the speed and price of fast food establishments with the quality of full-service bistros. Despite being a category in its own right, the furniture used in fast-casual restaurants doesn’t actually take into account the specific needs of this class of customers and is instead meant for either fast-food chains or full-service establishments. This chair design concept tries to break the mold by introducing a piece of furniture that caters specifically to fast-casual customers who need to hang their coats or keep their bags but can never find such a place with regular restaurant chairs.

Designer: Zhiyuan (Frank) Fang

Fast-food restaurant chairs are often made from plastic, designed to be cheap, easy to move around, and often uninspiring. Customers here are often in a hurry, anyway, so they don’t care so much for the things they’re carrying, presuming they’re even carrying some. Fine dining chairs, in sharp contrast, are elegant and a little more expensive in order to match the restaurant’s ambiance. They, too, don’t have convenient features for keeping your things, because restaurants often have available storage for those near the table or by the entrance. That leaves fast-casual diners to fend for their own most of the time, often resulting in awkward displays of jackets or even forgotten bags or purses.

The RACK Chair design was conceptualized with fast-casual restaurants specifically in mind. While the chair might find some uses in other diner types as well, the aesthetics, materials, and features truly shine in this middle-ground of the catering industry. It’s made from a variety of wooden materials, including birch, pine, walnut, and ash, giving it a bit of style and fine character. At the same time, however, the minimalist design and flat-pack-friendly construction are ideal for mass production and use.

The real distinctive parts of the RACK chair are the integrated coat hanger on the backrest and the storage tray under the seat. While it’s certainly possible to drape coats, jackets, and other clothing over the back of most chairs, they also have a tendency to slip off, sometimes unbeknownst to the owner. The tray offers a secure space to put in purses, document folios, and small bags for each reach, while also blocking unauthorized access from behind.

Some might downplay the impact that these two simple features can bring, but knowing that there will always be a place for your jacket, coat, bags, and things adds tremendous peace of mind and convenience. That in turn, will surely make the experience and location memorable, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be a repeat customer. After all, the last thing you need is to stress over your stuff when all you really want is to enjoy an affordable and delicious meal.

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How Robots Are Expanding Their Fields of Work By Attaining Emotional Designs

Robots have long captured our imaginations, from the helpful household robots of science fiction to the industrial machines that streamline manufacturing processes. However, the integration of robots into our daily lives has often been hampered by the challenges they face when navigating complex human environments. These limitations have confined their utility to controlled spaces in industries such as logistics and manufacturing. But now, a groundbreaking design concept known as “Turing” is poised to change the game, bringing a fresh perspective on robotic technology.

Designer: Cambridge Consultants (Tom ShirleyAnya Pivčuka)

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Turing is not just another robot; it’s a robotic platform with an emotional design at its core. It was developed by a team of multi-disciplinary experts, including designers, engineers, and researchers, to address a significant challenge in robotics: enabling robots to work in complex human environments while fostering collaboration between humans and machines. Turing’s approach seeks to unlock the untapped potential of human-robot interaction, one of the last remaining barriers to a future where robots become our everyday companions.

In the early stages of UX testing, the team behind Turing discovered that mimicking human emotion was a highly effective means of communicating the robot’s movements and intentions. They employed journey mapping to craft a coherent set of thoughts and emotions for the robot, resulting in a personality and behavior that users could relate to and engage with. By drawing inspiration from well-known characters in animation and film, they could identify the most appropriate personality for a given environment. This adaptability allows Turing to modify its behavior based on the specific context, ensuring it doesn’t seem out of place in various settings.

Turing is designed to work in collaboration with people, capable of navigating through crowded environments using body language, gestures, and emotional cues to communicate with our subconscious. This non-verbal, intuitive communication is significantly faster than traditional speech, enabling the sub-second reaction times necessary to avoid collisions in crowded areas. Moreover, Turing’s modular nature allows it to be adapted to a wide range of industries and customized to address diverse business needs.

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The versatility of Turing makes it a game-changer in various industries:

1. Retail: In retail, Turing can assist shoppers with tasks ranging from providing general information to guiding them through the store and even carrying their shopping bags. The emotional and charming personality it displays creates a memorable shopping experience that can be tailored to each venue’s ambiance.

2. Service Industry: Turing comes to the rescue of businesses in the service industry, such as bars and restaurants, which often struggle to recruit enough staff. It can efficiently take orders and deliver food and drinks to customers, enhancing their overall experience. Its adaptability ensures it can seamlessly blend into different restaurant environments, from casual to fine dining.

3. Medical Environments: Turing plays a crucial role in medical settings by reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. It can perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks, such as dispensing medication in low-risk hospital wards. This not only frees up staff to focus on patient care but also helps maintain consistent medication schedules. However, the acceptance of robots like Turing in healthcare settings may take time, as people need to build trust in the accuracy of the tasks performed.

Turing is a groundbreaking development in the world of robotics. By embracing emotional design and a highly adaptable, modular nature, it is pushing the boundaries of human-robot interaction and addressing the limitations that have confined robots to specific industries. With Turing, the future of robotics looks promising, as it promises to bring robots out of controlled environments and into our everyday lives, as social, collaborative, and empathetic companions.

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The Spoon Restaurant by Paola Navone and Daniel Rozensztroch exhibits a large spoon collection

Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone Spoon Restaurant

Daniel Rozensztroch and Paola Navone are two artists who clearly want to continue going on creating and showing off to the world their work. The two have worked together recently and introduced The Spoon Restaurant (La Cuillère).

At the Maison & Objet 2022, we see The Spoon Restaurant due to two creative forces—an Italian architect and designer and artistic director Paola Navone and architect Daniel Rozensztroch. The main attraction is the fantastic collection of spoons from different parts of the world and different eras. Maison & Objet provided the two designers complete freedom to design the flagship restaurant and be creative as they have been famous for decades of work. The two friends share similarities and “share the same taste for popular objects that have a history”. They like layering items that offer a more personal feel.

Designers: Paola Navone and Daniel Rozensztroch

Spoon Restaurant Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone Launch

Everything Paola Navone and Daniel Rozensztroch work on become successful. The La Cuillère (The Spoon) is the latest as it is a showcase of a spoon collection amassed by Rozensztroch during his travels. About 2,000 spoons are ready to be admired, made from different materials like metal, glass, porcelain, bone, and mother-of-pearl.

The spoon is significant because of its special purpose. Rozensztroch described it as “a universal, almost essential item” and the “first tool we learn to use as babies, and even the last one we use to feed ourselves when we are very old.” A spoon can be many things, but it mainly symbolizes “exchange and generosity.”

Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone Spoon Restaurant Images

The Spoon Restaurant is meant to be a place not only of beautiful things and beautiful decors but also of delicious cuisine. The food served at the restaurant is sumptuous and is meant to be eaten with a spoon. The ambiance of the restaurant is nostalgic but with a contemporary feel. The use of red and white gingham fabric makes it a fun restaurant that will remind you of decades ago. The lace curtains complement the vintage vibe of the spoon museum-like restaurant.

There are huge Plexiglas dining tables mounted on blocks to show off the spoon collection. The tables become display tables where they could enjoy their meal or a cup of coffee. There won’t be any dull conversation here because you’d be admiring and talking about each spoon displayed.

Images Spoon Restaurant Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone

The restaurant’s facade is covered with gingham tiles. The white laser-cut paper lace adds charm to the restaurant and shows some vintage French vibe. The wallpaper shows images of the spoon collection, perfectly creating an ambiance that is quite poetic and magical.

Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone Spoon Restaurant Images

The restaurant marries old charm and modern design. It doesn’t appear really luxurious and restrictive, but the restaurant invites people to be comfortable, confident, and just enjoy themselves. Daniel Rozensztroch’s spoon collection is precious and each item is protected. Of course, you won’t be able to use any spoon from the collection, but you can be taken to different eras and places as you inspect every spoon on display. Paola Navone’s creativity and charm are apparent in this restaurant which you can now visit at Maison&Objet at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

Spoon Restaurant by Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone

Spoon Showcase Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone Spoon Restaurant Images

Photos Spoon Restaurant Daniel Rozenstroch and Paola Navone

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UK McDonald’s net-zero carbon restaurant tries to make the environment a bit healthier

You might have guilty feelings when chowing down on that hamburger, but one McDonald’s restaurant in the UK might at least let you feel good about staying green while you’re there.

Fast-food and health are two words that never really got along well with one another, and it isn’t just about humans’ bodily health either. Sometimes worse than other restaurants because of their nature and their processes, fast-food chains have also become perilous to the health of the planet, particularly through their net carbon emissions. As one of the world’s biggest culprits, McDonald’s is trying to set an example and opened the first net-zero restaurant in the UK, though it still comes up short of being net-zero in the true sense of the word.

Designers: Scurr Architects and AEW Architects for McDonald’s

It’s no longer enough to just say that you’re using recycled materials for cups or utensils these days. Those are important first steps, of course, but not enough to earn you a “net-zero” badge for your building. For that, you’ll need to significantly reduce your carbon emissions in almost every aspect, including the construction, operation, and demolition of the establishment.

McDonald’s Market Drayton branch in the UK tries to check off a few of those boxes, particularly in the materials they used. Wall insulation is made from sheep’s wool, while parking lot kerbstones are each made from 182 recycled plastic bottles. Even the signage is made from McDonald’s own coffee beans as part of the company’s “circular waste solution.” All of these while retaining the same familiar design of McDonald’s restaurants around the world, or at least in the UK.

The day-to-day operations of the restaurant are also almost zero, with power being provided by two on-site wind turbines and 92 square meters (990 square feet) of solar panels. Strictly speaking, however, the restaurant can’t be considered truly net-zero because it doesn’t take into account consumption-based emissions, according to Dezeen.

It’s still an important step forward for the company as well as the UK’s net-zero carbon buildings thrust, especially considering how much foot traffic and how many customers a single McDonald’s branch gets on a single day. That said, it’s also just one in tens of thousands of McDonald’s locations around the world that still have to adopt the fast-food chain’s sustainable programs. It’s just the first step, of course, and McDonald’s plans to move forward in the years to come, including vegan, plant-based menus by 2025.

Photos courtesy of Anthony Devlin/PA.

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Suspended body visors that will keep you social and socially distant

We are all itching to go back to restaurants or maybe just work with friends in a cafe. For many of us take out was a part of everyday life and people would look forward to fine dining dates, be it to celebrate occasions or simply the weekend. Designers and leaders are working on innovative solutions that can help us get back to our routine lives faster while still practicing social distancing. One such brilliant idea is Plex’Eat, a visor-lamp, by Christophe Gernigon!

Earth is reopening bit by bit and the first thing on everyone’s mind is grabbing a bite outside! Plex’Eat was designed for the new normal of dining out. Since we can’t wear masks while eating, Gernigon has created large, lamp-shaped, protective visors that are suspended over the diner’s upper body to keep them safe while enjoying their meal. The hanging shield is made of clear lightweight plexiglass which lets everyone enjoy social interaction without risking their safety. The shape of these upper body-visors also has a curved opening at the back which allows you to move in and out of it with ease – no bending and swerving!

Plex’Eat is easy to clean for the staff in-between service and doesn’t take away from the experience of enjoying a meal outside. In fact, I think this better – no one can spill on you, if you have a friend who spits while talking you can still hang out with them, if you have shocking news you don’t have to wait for them to swallow their food/drink. I vote for Plex’Eats!

Designer: Christophe Gernigon

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