Great State Burger Suite

This small take-out only Downtown location takes advantage of existing pedestrian pathways and open plaza with seating, providing activity and color in this corner of the downtown core. Surrounded by large towers, the bright red canopy was designed to catch the eye of those passing by and provide cover to this outdoor walk-up style restaurant.

This small walk-up restaurant is inside a bustling mall, along a main thoroughfare where patrons can order at the counter, then dine at central tables in the concourse. Taking elements from the classic Great State Burger branding, the design team employed the red racing stripe as an eye-catching surround and counter element, linking it back to other iterations of the restaurant.

For the flagship location at the Publix Building, the team used the Olympic mountain range as inspiration (it is visible from the site on a clear day) to continue and connect to the distant mountain range. An abstracted image of the mountains was drawn and then projected onto a 2×2 hemlock slat wall that works its way through the space. This mountain-scape mural wall serves as a screen to the mechanical equipment, scullery and portions of the kitchen. It is carved away in strategic places to reveal the service counter and kitchen beyond, as well as a cozy seating area under the mechanical mezzanine.

In a historic building on Ballard Ave, Best Practice updated the look and feel of the restaurant for its new owners (Renee Erickson and the Sea Creatures team). Keeping some of the original features intact, including an ornate wooden storefront from 1895, the team added contemporary touches like new plywood paneling, tile, fun graphics, lit signage and a custom glass wall separating the kitchen from the dining area and bar. New accordion doors open to an outdoor courtyard where people can dine under a trellis adjacent to the busy sidewalk, while old school pinball machines make the rear bar a fun game room.