A 1,200sf Bagel and Coffee Locker.

To define this business, and differentiate it inside the larger food hall it inhabits, we considered every element of the brand and environment, to program a simple and engaging user experience. 

The interior design and build out included every fixture and feature of the space. The cabinets, counters, benches, and signage alike. In collaboration with Maurer Architecture, the concept of the space was to remain humble and fun.  

In an area famous for basketball rivalries, the execution of design used materials in an elegant reinterpretation of the idealized locker room.  Expanded metal floating from thin steel frames, offset from varsity-striped wood cladding create the service bars and backdrop for the front of house. The custom benches made of basketball court materials, provide ample seating on solid maple slats, echoing courtside nostalgia, while providing ample storage for the lumber fueling their signature wood-fired oven.

[The name, Benchwarmers, is a nod to the owners’ undiluted love for childhood sports. As kids, they played basketball, baseball, and soccer with their hearts on their sleeves. Even if you know you won’t be an athlete, it’s still so fun to play. This shop is meant to remind them of that feeling and the three things parents always tell their children: Try your best. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember to have fun. The space — warm, humble, and vaguely nostalgic — is nestled in the southernmost corner of the new Transfer Co. Food Hall, between Locals Oyster Bar, and Che Empanadas, a short walk from Burial Beer Co. There is space to spread out, meet with friends, get some work done, or just let your kids run in circles. (www.benchwarmersbagels.com)]