MT LAUREL, NJ
10,000 SQ. FT.
TONO GROUP
HOSPITALITY
MONTEREY GRILL
True to its namesake, Monterey Prime American Grill delivers an elevated dining experience with California inspired ambiance. In this upscale steakhouse, Chef Andrew Pearce’s award-winning culinary flavors are created with premium ingredients and paired with signature cocktails, exceptional wines and authentic hospitality. Designed to serve as the flagship for a new franchise concept, the project revitalizes an existing event venue into a sophisticated dining experience. TONO Group was chosen for this project based on its relationship with the Harvest Restaurant Group, having delivered successful renovations at six other locations.
Have a project you’d like to talk about?
OUR APPROACH
At the outset, the client outlined several design imperatives. The vision was to embrace warm earth tones, natural materials like wood and stone, and details that conveyed a feeling of California fresh. TONO designed the restaurant to allow the owners to modulate the space as needed to create various scales of dining experience. Through elevation changes, columns, screened walls and frameless glass, the owners can open dining areas to let the energy flow or compartmentalize spaces for more intimate occasions. Key features include a large, welcoming bar area just off the patio, private dining rooms behind glass doors, and movable walls to blend indoor and outdoor spaces.
OUTCOME
The design was challenged by the space’s exceptionally high ceilings and open expanses which posed a risk of feeling cavernous to guests. TONO devised a layout solution that incorporated partial height walls, movable partitions, and a unique cantilevered fireplace to delineate distinct dining areas while fostering intimate experiences. The exterior dining areas were included to let the restaurant spill outside yet the business’s location near a parking lot and busy roadway required careful façade design. A screen wall between the patio and the exterior extends the dining room but provides necessary screening to maintain the restaurant’s vibrant culinary ambiance.
View More Projects In Our Portfolio
