Companion Cafe
9781 Clayton Road
Saint Louis, MO 63124
Companion Cafe is a St. Louis institution of over two decades. Not only do they have incredible bread and sweet baked treats, they also offer fabulous breakfasts, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Situated in a popular shopping area in the heart of Ladue, Companion is always hopping. Downtime would be quite a detriment, so SPACE Design + Construction had a mere nine days to renovate and update the café. SPACE’s design and building teams worked together to transform the space at breakneck speed.
Owners Jodi and Josh Allen came to SPACE interior designers and fabrication crew for a visual refresh and to help work out some growing pains. The Allens wanted to preserve the warmth and charm of the unique space, but they also requested a more contemporary European aesthetic. While tackling the aesthetics, the SPACE building team addressed customer circulation in the tight quarters, water sneaking into the restaurant at the entry, and upgrading storage and catering prep areas to better serve both dine-in customers and catering clients in St. Louis County.
For both efficiency and sustainability, we preserved what we could of the original space. We gave the original floor a good sanding and a new wash of warm gray. The wood at the entry was replaced with black tile installed in a herringbone pattern. Pendant lights at the window remained and were boosted with supplemental lighting. A fresh coat of paint and new furniture, completed the new and improved Companion Cafe’s new design that will work well and look great for years to come.
Is your venue ready for an update with no time to spare in the Metro East or St. Charles County? Take a look at our portfolio, then contact us. Time’s ticking!
SERVICES
Architecture
Interior Design
Custom Fabrication
Construction Management
Furniture Selection
A Streamlined Experience
With a limited amount of space for big breakfast and lunch crowds, ensuring room for people to form a line was a top priority. The most significant change was reconfiguring the back line and guest queueing line.
SPACE design experts worked closely with co-owner Jodi Allen to develop a new back wall that worked for her team, but was visually clean. We replaced print signage with two monitors for easy updates and ordering. But most importantly, our fabrication team built new illuminated bread storage to make Companion’s star product shine.
Compartmentalized Companions
To maximize the busy café’s space in accommodating catering and delivery orders to Brentwood without infringing on dine-in guests, a takeout window and ceiling-mounted shelves were added. All of the backbar casework was replaced. SPACE design and build teams moved a reach-in refrigeration unit and display storage for other grab-and-go items to be accessible to diners in line to place their orders. We also built a half-wall so seated guests would feel separate from the bustle of guests waiting to order.
