PAN BON RESTAURANT & BAKERY

San Diego, California
Little Italy
Restaurant, New Tenant Improvement
10,500 s.f.

The Pan Bon Restaurant & Bakery occupies a suite on the ground floor of the Ariel Luxury Rentals tower in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego.  The owners are originally from Italy, where they own a successful bakery of the same name.  They worked with a design firm in Italy to develop the concept and primary design elements for the new space, but needed a local firm to prepare construction documents; coordinate with kitchen equipment consultants, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural engineers; work with the Health Department to obtain approvals; facilitate building permits; as well as to perform construction administration services.  The large double-height space was divided into separate zones for casual and formal dining; display counters and registers for a la carte items; a full-service restaurant; and a large kitchen.  The kitchen is presented to the public through the use of large windows as a culinary laboratory space and features top-of-the-line commercial appliances.  The restaurant also contains a partial mezzanine which houses a bar and additional dining areas.  Prefabricated panels assembled in Italy and composed of reclaimed lumber attached to painted black steel frames climb the walls and continue across the ceiling to create a dramatic, modern, European ambiance.