The design had to be just as authentic. The Clarke’s Group tapped Vincent Celano of Seed Design to design the first outlet of the new quickserve concept, known as Clarke’s Standard, at Lexington Avenue and 54th Street. Celano crafted a fun, nostalgic atmosphere that reflects the brand’s classic, unmistakable identity. Inspiration came from the old butcher shop experience. “We didn’t want to copy the actual shop,” says Celano, who is working on seven Clarke’s Standard locations. “Rather, we wanted to take layers from the space, deconstruct them, and make them more artistic.”

Celano brought personal experience to the project. “I worked in a butcher shop as a kid, and I drew a lot from my memories of being there: the porcelain, the sawdust on the floor, the stainless steel,” he explains. ”A lot of this project for me was taking the elements I remembered and using them in this space in a theatrical way.”

Simple, clean colors keep with the butcher shop’s look, enhanced by elements such as reclaimed wood beams and a white laminate counterface trimmed with red metal. Further evoking the butcher shop feel are steel meat rails and hooks on the ceiling with blackened stainless steel and red accented pieces.

The distressed wood detail, complemented by vintage porcelain and white marble countertops, infuses the space’s modern layout with an old-world vibe. Meanwhile, the space’s artwork depicts graphic representations of the history and personalities of New York’s most famous butcher shops—not to mention images of the Clarke family from when they still owned a farm.

Celano’s favorite element? “I loved the object installations and art that we layered in,” he says. “They activate the space and make it feel more intimate and inviting.”

The LINQ: Opening late this year, this open-air retail, dining, and entertainment district in the center of the Strip will be anchored by the world’s tallest observation wheel. Known as the High Roller, the 550-foot-tall wheel will feature 28 glass-enclosed cabins offering broad views of the city.

Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace: Robert De Niro and famed chef Nobu Matsuhisa have introduced their first hotel. The David Rockwell-designed property emphasizes a Japanese aesthetic, complete with elements of cherry blossoms, Zen gardens, artwork, and fixtures inspired by origami.

Gansevoort Las Vegas: The ill-fated Bill’s Gambling Hall had a great location on the Strip across from Caesars Palace—and owner Caesars Entertainment had bigger plans for it. Enter Gansevoort Las Vegas, which will feature 188 Parisian apartment-style guestrooms and suites designed by Tandem Las Vegas.

SLS Las Vegas: Farther north up the Strip, entertainment guru Sam Nazarian’s new hotel will occupy the former site of the Sahara. When it opens in 2014, SLS Las Vegas will feature The Bazaar by José Andrés, Katsuya by Starck, Shelter nightclub, and retail by Fred Segal.

MGM Promenade: MGM Resorts is planning a pedestrian-friendly promenade that will include restaurants, bars, retail, and a 20,000-seat arena. The facades of the New York New York and Monte Carlo resorts also will undergo a facelift as part of the project.

Four Seasons: After debuting remodeled rooms in December, the luxury hotel recently revealed its new lobby lounge. Known as Press, the indoor/outdoor venue has its own patio with comfy sofas surrounding two firepits.

The Palms: Upgrades include refreshed suites and new restaurant Heraea, a 320-seat eatery and lounge designed by Vincent Celano. The space offers diners indoor and outdoor options.

Delano Las Vegas: The Miami icon comes to the Strip in October, occupying the existing THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. The 1,100-room all-suite property promises “high energy night and daylife, as well as an unmatched standard of fine dining.”

Hakkasan and LIGHT: The hotly anticipated Hakkasan restaurant/nightclub opened at the MGM Grand in late April with VIP visits from Jennifer Lopez and Pharrell.  Meanwhile, LIGHT Nightclub Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay debuts Memorial Day weekend with a design “to tantalize all five senses.”

Morimoto Las Vegas: Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto will unveil his first Vegas restaurant early next year at the existing Japonais space at The Mirage. Guests can expect the chef’s modern Japanese cuisine. The restaurant will be Morimoto’s 10th worldwide.

Rx Boiler Room: Top Chef Masters contestant and judge Rick Moonen is closing up RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay in favor of a new restaurant that will deliver comfort food at lower prices. The Jules Verne-inspired décor will showcase elements of Steam Punk from the industrialized Victorian era.

Downtown Las Vegas: Within the last few years, the old-school Vegas holdovers—the Plaza, Golden Nugget (pictured), The D (formerly Fitzgerald’s), Downtown Grand (at the former site of Lady Luck), and Golden Gate—have all been refreshed or even rebuilt. New restaurants like Park on Fremont, La Comida, Mingo Kitchen & Lounge, and Velveteen Rabbit are joining the revamped properties.

- The Social Hub, a new concept found at the center of the show floor, gave attendees the chance to relax, socialize, and engage in Green Voice Conversations. Designed by New York City-based designer Vincent Celano, the Social Hub was sponsored by companies including Aceray, Arteriors Contract, Valley Forge Fabrics, and Lamin-Art. In the afternoon, mixologists from The Light Group concocted specialty cocktails.

- On Wednesday, showgoers got a chance to see the transformation of The Palms, including new restaurant Heraea, a 320-seat eatery and lounge designed by Vincent Celano. The space offers diners indoor and outdoor options.

- UpSpring PR attended HD’s opening night party at the House of Blues. There was live music, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. This was the first-ever opening party…good times!

- David Tracz of Studio3877 talked sustainable practices and successful business results at the Social Hub as part of NEWH’s Green Voice Conversations. Along with Lorraine Francis of Cadiz Collaboration, the duo discussed how to make sustainable changes in the design process.

- A talk with the three finalists of the 7th annual Radical Innovation in Hospitality awards competition took place on Wednesday. Attendees listened as the finalists described their concepts and the impact on the guest experience.

- Many companies debuted new products like Source Outdoor, which showcased its new South Beach collection and new cabanas, which are fully customizable.

- A panel on Doubletree by Hilton and its launch of the newly branded MADE Market drew a crowd. Jesse MacDougall of ICRAVE along with others involved with the project discussed what this new concept is all about.

Restaurant Dining Is on the Rise
Good news for the restaurant industry: Consumers are not only dining out more, but they’re spending more on food and beverage, too. Restaurant sales in April reached $45.9 billion, a $200 million increase from the previous high in December 2012. The National Restaurant Association expects that figure to continue to rise, as nearly 50 percent of adults indicate that they weren’t dining out as much as they’d like.

Downtown Miami’s Newest Hotel: The b2
The b2 hotel (pictured) is big on style but easy on the pocketbook. Offering either city or bay views, guestrooms are outfitted in plush furnishings, high-def LED TVs with online capabilities, and built-in docking stations—and it’ll run you a very wallet-friendly $128/night.

In-Flight Tips for the Business Traveler
What are the five essential items to take on a plane with you? What’s the best way to minimize jet lag? How much work will you actually get done on your flight? What’s more entertaining on a flight: eavesdropping or reading? Mashable offers a helpful graphic to answer your big travel questions.

Standing Up for Sushi
If you’re willing to stand at a bar for drinks and appetizers, why not for a full meal? That’s what Japanese restaurant owner/operator ORENO Corporation hopes as it brings its “standing-only” dining concept to Manhattan. The company claims that by eliminating seating, it can deliver gourmet food without the hefty price tag.

The New School Hosts Dining + Design Panel on May 20
Listen to Andrew Carmellini—chef extraordinaire at The Dutch, Locanda Verde, and Lafayette—along  with architects Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman + Williams as they chat about the relationship between a restaurant’s culinary concepts and physical design in creating the ideal dining experience.

Brooklyn, Miami Beach Restaurants Win James Beard Awards for Outstanding Design
The James Beard Foundation announced winners of its annual awards in categories ranging from publishing and broadcasting to top chefs. San Francisco chef and restaurateur Cecilia Chiang took home the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Emeril Lagasse was named Humanitarian of the Year. In the Outstanding Restaurant Design categories, Taavo Somer won for Isa in Brooklyn, and architect Alejandro Barrios-Carrero earned honors for Juvia in Miami Beach. New York’s Blue Hill was named the Outstanding Restaurant winner; Best New Restaurant accolades went to State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. Click here to see the names of all winners.

And the Award for Most Expensive New York Hotel Goes to…
NewYorkHotels.org researched the average prices at luxury hotels in the city and found that the St. Regis was the most expensive at $823/night. Rounding out the top 5: Mandarin Oriental, $814; Four Seasons (E. 57th Street), $765; Ritz-Carlton Central Park, $764; and Trump International Hotel, $745.

W New York Union Square Unveils $15 Million Renovation
Nine years after opening, W Hotels’ Union Square location (pictured) has completed a $15 million facelift. The project resulted in colorful upgrades to the hotel’s 270 guestrooms and suites; Todd English’s Olives New York; and Lilium by Gerber Group, formerly Underbar.

Virgin Airlines Rolls Out New Uniforms
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Richard Branson has tapped famed fashion maven Vivienne Westwood to redesign Virgin Airlines’ crew uniforms. Look for tailored, futuristic designs (red fitted waist jacket paired with a pencil skirt for women, three-piece suits in burgundy wool for men) hitting the skies next year.

Cipriani Downtown Miami Debuts This Month
Florentine architect Michele Bonan has created a nautical theme emphasizing Biscayne Bay views at the new Cipriani bar and restaurant, the upscale Italian brand’s foray into the city.

What exactly is menu engineering?
Menu engineering is all about running an analysis to understand the profitability and popularity of your menu items. That involves understanding each menu item and their characteristics. We graph and chart each menu item and classify them into four quadrants: high profit/high sales, or stars; high profit/low sales, which we call puzzles; high sales/low profit, known as plow horses; and low profit/low sales, or dogs.

In other words, a plow horse can be pulling a lot of people in, but we don’t make much money on it. You want to find the stars because these are our best items. Once you find your stars you want to expand them. For example, crab cakes may be high in profits and sales. Make other crab cake items, like Asian crab cakes or Southwestern crab cakes. We figure out where the items fall and move all the information into laying out the menu.

Why did you start doing this?
I started menu engineering when I helped reorganize a restaurant in Pullman, Washington. We had to redo the menu, and I didn’t know anything about menus. I started studying how a person goes through a department store, how a person reads a newspaper or magazine or catalog. Catalogs are the same as menus in that they chart profitability. And then the grocery stores were years ahead of the restaurant game. They knew about real estate—where your eye level goes, the colors, the end caps—and they tracked it. You have to reach up or reach down on the shelf to get the lower-profit items. Then there are the impulse items. So I studied all of these other areas and then brought the knowledge over into the restaurant business.

What are the most common mistakes restaurants make on menus?
Well, I have been telling people for 31 years to take the dollar signs and the leader dots leading over to the price off the menu. Dollar signs remind people of money. You want to remove all those. It softens the prices. With leader dots, someone will go up and down the price list and find the cheapest item. It forces people to use pricing to make their decisions.

The other mistake I see all the time is the restaurant will write a paragraph on the hamburger but they won’t describe that profitable $43 steak. What we want to do is get descriptions of the items we want to sell, and then we want to take copy away from other items. We don’t know about what we want to upsell and downsell until we do menu analysis and engineering,

How do you measure success of menu items?
I measure the success on profit per person. By tracking the entrees, I can tell you how many people came into the restaurant last month and ordered an entrée, and now I use that number and I can track how many people ordered a dessert to that package. I can track the appetizer sales to that number, and I can also track the drink sales to that number.

How long does the menu engineering process take?
It only takes me four days to pull together a new menu. The first day I will go to the restaurant and shop it, and no one knows I am there. The second day I meet with the owners and have what I call a state-of-the-menu meeting where they give me their input. Then I study the numbers [from the last 30 days] for two days, and then on the fourth day, I go in and give them my recommendations. If restaurants don’t make $1,000 in profit in the first month after I engineer their menu, I give them their fees back.

What are the biggest challenges in menu development?
The person who controls the menu controls the heart and soul of the restaurant. When I do my work, I don’t come in and say, ‘You need to do this or you need to do that.’ I show them the analysis and then let them take the information and write the copy for the menu. I will lay the menu out, but I want their input, because I might put something in good real estate and they’ll say, ‘I don’t want to put that menu item there, it just isn’t that good.’ I let them take control of the menu.

So many times when I am working with a restaurant group, someone from outside writes the descriptions for the new menu. That writer does a great job; they visit the restaurant, they look at the ingredients, and they do what they do. Then they hand it over to the restaurateur, and he looks at them and asks, ‘What is this? It isn’t our restaurant.’

Those descriptions might have to come from the chef or the person in charge of the menu. I tell that person to take a tape recorder and tell the whole story behind the item, and then have someone edit it. I think every item should have a back story, because then it has more value than a commodity list of menu items. If I tell you to put a back story for every item, I am then going to get the heart and soul of where that recipe came from. For instance, this pot roast came from my grandmother’s in Nebraska and this is what she cooked every Saturday night. It tells a story.

If I say that I made this Cobb salad for my brother’s wedding, that is a stronger item than just a basic Cobb salad. And you don’t have to put all of these stories into the menus. It helps if your servers know these items; then they are going to put in talking points about where these items came from.

Wine lists are the worst lists of all, because they only tell you the wine, the price, and the year. If you tell people why this wine made it to the list, it gives them more than just a price to go off of.

How have menus and menu items changed over the years?
When I started we would make fun of our food. It was the high-concept days of serving soups in a bedpan and we never really thought of it. Now, we respect our food and have come all the way around to respecting the farmer who is raising our food for us, the lobsterman who caught our lobster, the person who grew our lettuce and mushrooms. We want to take their stories and we want to put them into our menu so people will understand what we are all about.

How does a menu relate to a restaurant’s design?
This is important for designers, because you want a back story on the restaurant to give it feet, legs, and roots. If you just make a beautiful room and food, there is no concept there and people will make stuff up that they don’t know about. A story on the restaurant adds value to the food. You build your restaurant so that it is the trendiest place in town, and that is going to work for almost two weeks until the next trendiest place in town opens, but if you build your restaurant for a stronger customer, they are going to come back over and over again.

Finalists Announced for Radical Innovation in Hospitality Awards
This annual competition always results in big ideas in hospitality design, and this year’s finalists continue the tradition with projects like Nomad, a moveable suite that travels from city to city; Convergence, an urban hotel that removes barriers of typical function spaces; Pop-Up Hotel NY, set within empty office spaces; and the Studio-Pod, the student finalist project that maximizes productivity.

10 Ways to Make Travel More Pleasant
We complain about the hassles of travel, but can anything really be improved? These writers think so, offering up 10 suggestions ranging from updated hotel check-in times to better transparency in the booking process.

Canvas Chairs Double As Works of Art
From a distance, it looks like a conventional work of art. Get closer, and you’ll see it’s a piece of furniture. YOY design studio has designed the Canvas line to include a stool, chair, and a two-person seat.

New Restaurant Report: New York
A soda fountain/restaurant, grand café and bakery, and vegan eatery lead the charge in new restaurant openings in New York City.

Celebrate National Burger Month with a $5,000 Meal!
If you’re in Las Vegas this month…and win $5,000…and want to spend it on food…check out the $5,000 Fleur Burger by Thomas Keller at Mandalay Bay. The meal includes wagyu (literally translated: Japanese cow) beef, foie gras, and truffle, accompanied by a bottle of 1995 Chateau Petrus.

To realize Buben’s goal, GrizForm first had to reconsider the layout of the building, formerly a large Italian restaurant known as Potenza that housed a bakery, bar, and dining room. Each area was distinctly different and separate. For instance, the bar was bright and loud, contrasting with the dining room’s dark, almost somber, vibe. What’s more, the stuffy dining room atmosphere created imbalance with the cheerful bakery, visible through glass walls.

“We found the separately conceived and designed spaces to be jarring,” Dwight explains. “We removed barriers between the bar and dining room to create cohesion and expose the energy between the two areas.” To connect the once-disparate spaces, GrizForm designed a custom ceiling feature of copper-colored pipes and unique lighting.

The restaurant’s large open kitchen spans nearly the length of the dining room with stations for food pick-up, so the energy is “constantly flowing out from the kitchen into the dining room,” says Dwight, who contained the flow with a half wall between the dining room and kitchen that “not only creates a comfort barrier for the diners/spectators, but it also houses the start of the pipe feature.”

GrizForm separated the bakery completely by creating an independent café called Woodward Takeout Food, or WTF. Furthermore, a historic hall, separated on all sides by walls of glass, sits between the dining room and the kitchen of the café and is now used for private dining. “Being historic, the hall remained untouched and is adorned with original ceiling décor and light fixtures,” Dwight notes. “We simply added a rug for warmth, dining furniture, and a server station in the rear of the hall.”

Despite opening up the building, GrizForm retained many of its original elements: existing wood columns and beams, drywall, and sconces (now adorned with new shades), to name a few.

Playing off of Buben’s desire for a more traditional dining experience—along with the historic location of the restaurant—Dwight incorporated traditional materials to dress the restaurant, such as dark faux leather booths, brass detailing, and glass drum pendant fixtures. Various shades of brown in woods and leather banquettes harmonize with beiges gracing the wall paint, bar, and host stand tile selection, while pops of copper and brass appear in the details.

“We kept the furnishings casual, comfortable, and sophisticated,” Dwight notes. “The few details that exist in the furnishings nod to a modern masculine art deco style.  This is seen in the brass detailing of the leather bar booths and the herringbone pattern fabric of the dining room booths.”

Meanwhile, GrizForm gave WTF a very separate design from Woodward Table to help separate the concepts. The café recalls a retro feel, thanks to a gray, white, and red color palette.  Penny tile floors, red laminate counters with marble tops, tin ceiling details, metal Marais café chairs, and old-school open face menu boards further contribute to the vintage vibe.

Photos by Paul Burk Photography

Why is Aloe Sherwin-Williams’ Color of the Year for 2013?
I chose it for a few different reasons. We started to see the color emerging in 2012 at some of the design trade shows. We saw a few bloggers starting to talk about this color a little bit, but they called it more of a mint green. We then started looking at the fashion trends for the spring of 2013 and saw a huge explosion of this mint green color all over the place. It just seemed to be a color that was fresh. It was current, but it also had this really fun, kitsch feel. There is so much in the marketplace that went along vintage lines that it really just seemed to fit perfectly with this theme of the past—the 1950s and ’60s era.

I see that Aloe is part of Sherwin-Williams’ Vintage Moxie palette. Can you tell us more about this collection?
The Vintage Moxie palette is definitely a throwback to the ’50s and ’60s, but it has a little more saturation and flair to it. We made the colors a little brighter, a little perkier—something that is more current but still reminiscent of that era.

The combinations of the palette are really fun, because you can take that color Aloe and create interesting color combinations. For instance, if you want to make it kind of modern, you can pair it with the black and white that is in that palette. Then there is a bit of a chartreuse color in that palette that, if you added to the black and white and the aloe, has a very fresh, contemporary vibe to it. Depending on how you work with Aloe, it’s a gender-neutral color.

Aloe also seems complement a variety of materials and finishes.
It is a color that is almost limitless in its application. It can be used in any room of the house. I love it with driftwood colors, that grayish tone. It also works very well with lighter wood tones like maple or birch. You can pair it with silvers. You can pair it with gold. It is a great bathroom color because it has a soothing feeling. Aloe is an incredibly versatile color.

Why do you think consumers are trying to recapture this vintage look with a modern edge?
People certainly like to reminisce about the past. Plus the colors that were used on appliances, the pinks and the aquas, were really interesting and fun. I think it takes you back to a time that was less stressful and a bit more carefree. Those kinds of colors make us feel happy.

Can travel apps – not to mention the proliferation of social media – make life on the road simpler? Or do they undermine spontaneity? This blog from Smart Planet makes the case for both. After all, how else can you connect with foodie strangers over dinner parties or easily translate foreign-language signs in real time? If you can’t get enough of travel apps, check out these helpful ones recommended by Huffington Post.

High Point Market in Review

The spring High Point Market drew thousands of designers, retailers, and furniture enthusiasts to North Carolina with fresh takes on furnishings and accessories. Interior Design magazine shares standout products, like a table whose base is made of recycled oil drums (pictured) and wall décor inspired by typewriters.

Promenade Planned for Las Vegas Strip

If we’ve come to expect anything from Las Vegas, it’s that Sin City always has its eyes on the next best thing. Case in point: MGM Resorts is planning a pedestrian-friendly promenade that will include restaurants, bars, retail, and a 20,000-seat arena. The facades of the New York New York and Monte Carlo resorts also will undergo a facelift as part of the project.

KBIS: What You Missed

If you missed this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, not to worry—we’ve gathered the highlights! Products like Formica’s Anniversary Collection (with 12 new funky patterns), pewter knobs from Vicenza Designs, and Urban Ironcraft’s vanity bases were listed as must-sees by the editors of K+BB. Plus, take a look at the Best Kitchen and Best Bath winners of NKBA’s 2013 Design Competition.

Fast Company Puts Innovation on Fast Track in New York

This week, Fast Company brought together business leaders for Innovation Uncensored, a two-day master class from the world’s most innovative companies. Big ideas were at the forefront with sessions such as:

-  A creative conversation between Twitter co-founder and Diane Von Furstenberg

-  The future of retail, which involves engaging consumers in a trusting relationship with the brands they love

-  Seven-minute classes on making your own luck, the pitfalls of predicting the future, and business at the speed of sound

-  The founders of Buzzfeed and Translation, who riffed on blowing up the old media sandbox and building a new one

Pratt Show Takes Place May 6

Emerging designers will be on display May 6 at the Manhattan Center, where the works of more than 300 of Pratt‘s most accomplished graduating students will be part of a juried exhibition.