Mendocino Farms

The Ask

Quick service salad and sandwich concept based out of Southern California, Mendocino Farms, approached Chipman Design Architecture to assist in creating architectural standards for the planned national growth of the brand.

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The Task

Charming and whimsical, with a blue and white cow as their mascot, each Mendocino Farms location was previously designed from scratch –– a model that would not be sustainable in order to meet expansion plans. The team at CDA reviewed the designs from all past locations, defining best practices and templatizing the design for the businesses lunch, dinner, and catering goals.

The company's 28th location, and first outside California, opened in Rice Village, Texas. The 4,185-square-foot Rice Village restaurant with 70 seats (in addition there's a 56-seat patio) is designed with wit and whimsy: rough-hewn, ashy wood walls embedded with plants, white honeycomb tile walls, pops of powder blue, and a cow motif that plays out within the clever space. There's even a kid-friendly area with a play space, chalkboard wall, and coloring books. The tenets of the company's business ethos are emblazoned on the walls that remind guests to: eat happy, live sustainably, create choices. And though it's not on the menu, Mendocino Farms declares "eat happy."