Grey Street

Eatery

Architecture, Brand Development,

Interior Design, Employer's Agent

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The project involved merging two separate units into a healthy eatery on Newcastle’s prestigious Grey Street. Both units, fronting onto Grey Street and backing onto the historic Central Arcade, are Grade II* listed, which demanded an exceptionally sensitive approach to preserve the integrity of the heritage assets on one of Europe’s most prestigious streets. Despite the complexity of the conversion, the work was completed within a very tight timescale to ensure the restaurant could open in time for the busy Christmas season.

The restaurant’s design echoes its focus on healthy, clean eating by stripping back the interior to reveal the original structure, creating a minimalist yet inviting space. This approach showcases the building’s historic features while providing a comfortable and contemporary atmosphere, perfectly blending the old with the new. The result is a welcoming dining environment that caters to a diverse range of guests.

At the same time as securing the Grey Street lease, the company received a significant investment to expand rapidly, with plans to open seven new eateries each year for the next five years. As a result, Grey Street was designated as the flagship location, and I was tasked with developing a comprehensive design guidebook to serve as a blueprint for future expansions. The guidebook not only included materiality and furnishings, but also looked at brand development – where different fonts and graphical styles were explored. The newly appointed board of directors were heavily involved in this process, with a clear vision of a simple and modern brand identity.