Caffè Nero
Embrace the Caffè Nero history.
Caffè Nero, a growing establishment of 20+ years across the UK as master coffee roasters and coffee houses, had an opportunity to introduce their signature blend and one-of-a-kind meeting places to the U.S. one store at a time. They turned to Upland Architects to make their vision a reality, and Upland embraced the challenge. Initially focused on developing stores in Boston and its surrounding areas, Nero eventually expanded to new regions. The result is a thriving restaurant brand, recognized in the area as a leader in quality Italian coffee, pastries and sandwiches, providing a creative relaxing setting in which to enjoy food, beverage, and the company of others.
Design, translate, elevate.
Upland Architects works with Nero’s in-house designers to develop their original concept and layout in a way that maximizes potential and utilizes limited, valuable leasable floor area. Upland maintains communication with Nero’s team throughout the design process, meeting site specific challenges and making designs conform to local building code regulations without sacrificing the environment for which the cafes are known.
From conceptual to practical.
An aggressive project schedule is developed with the client’s construction manager and adhered to throughout each location’s active duration. Key milestones are met through constant communication and coordination with kitchen equipment vendors, MEP and structural engineers and then back to the client to ensure a smooth process of construction documents.
Upland has an active role and involvement in every aspect of design preparation, document development and construction phases. Services provided to the client are as follows:
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Initial site survey and existing conditions documents.
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Preliminary design layout and building code review.
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Project milestone scheduling.
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Construction document production.
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Kitchen vendor and engineering coordination.
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Meetings and communication with client, landlord and building inspectors.
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Distribution of bidding documents to GCs.
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Construction administration: addressing RFIs and material submittals by the GC.
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Additional site visits throughout construction phases and at the close of the project.
Maintaining consistency.
While each Caffè Nero Nero location has its own distinctive character, there has been a need to have a level of uniformity. We developed a well-defined set of documents, provided the same high level of detail in a reliable format, and kept the design deviations of each location easily identifiable and quantifable by the contractors and client alike. In addition, Upland has worked closely with the client to compile a list of lessons learned after each project’s completion. This process helps to continuously improve document quality for future locations, balancing individuality with prototypical elements.
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