Facility Design Project of the Month

Each month, FE&S spotlights a project worth talking about, with in-depth coverage from concept through completion including a kitchen equipment floor plan.

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Crossroads Café and The Shack at William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif.

In the servery, near the main entry to dining, a large wedge-shaped salad bar features a solid quartz stone countertop with a detailed laminate fa?ßade. "Staggered round pendant lights suspended from an architectural aluminum trellis and steel frame bring life and energy to the food choices displayed below," says Midden. "The angular wedge floor pattern accentuates the shape of the counter."

Self-service stations for cold food are equipped with hidden frost tops under the stone countertops so food can be displayed in decorative crocks and platters. "When food is not on display, all that is seen is a beautiful stone top, free of any institutional-looking equipment," she adds.

In various locations throughout the servery, customers have access to counters for beverages, cereals and desserts, along with information about local food displays that call attention to sustainability programs.

Neighborhood Dining Areas

"In order to offer diverse dining atmosphere we created a unique and clear departure from the traditional sea of linear seating by offering micro-environments or neighborhoods which are seamlessly blended throughout the Caf?©," Midden says. Seating includes quiet, intimate spaces; booth seating; banquette seating; lounge seating; bar-height counter seating; community tables for larger groups; 2-, 4- and 6-tops; private dining rooms for 8 to 15 guests on a reserve basis and outdoor seating.

At the center of the Crossroads Caf?© is the Hub, an 18-foot round, open steel-frame structure offering soft, curved lounge seating. Sheer silver drapes can be closed to create privacy while still maintaining a connection to the main dining. Two larger private dining rooms are reserved for special occasions or conferences. These rooms feature a stone wall with protruding wood shelves, a dynamic stainless steel custom-designed community table, carpeting to quiet sound and AV screens for social media. Just outside the private dining rooms sits an intimate space designed for those who want to eat in a less-visible quiet setting but still want to be connected to surrounding activity. A lowered ceiling; soft, subdued lighting; wall sconces; and high booth and banquette seating options set this dining room apart.