The Kebabery

The Camino team asked us to work with them to develop the layout and then fabricate the fixtures for their new restaurant, The Kebabery, in the Longfellow neighborhood of Oakland. The goals of the project were to make a warm and inviting space, be scrappy, and have some fun. One of the things this lead to is the clear pink acrylic sign on the outside of the building. The sign, logo, and their copious use of colored tape throughout the restaurant has made hot pink a clear brand for The Kebabery. Almost a year into the life of the project, it’s evident that the neighborhood has taken to the restaurant, and that head Chef Traci Matsumoto-Esteban is producing consistently wonderful food.

Starting from their initial plans we made some adjustments to the layout and then began testing bench seating designs that would be comfortable without additional padding. Using large slabs of sugar pine, we fabricated counters, storage, tables, and 40’+ of continuous bench seating. The steel bases to the benches were fabricated by our frequent collaborator Ryan & Sons, powdercoated with a hammertone power tool green.

Katherine Lam led a Furniture Production II at California College of the Arts to work with the Camino team, and her four students (Nathaniel Hedges, Stephen Moore, Kjetil Smedal, & Malachai Trent) designed, tested, and produced a set of eight white oak and steel chairs. One is placed at each table in the restaurant. The backs have a nice give to them that really makes them a comfortable seat.

If you haven’t been here yet we’d highly recommend it, Condé Nast Traveler agrees. You’re likely to run into one of us and our families enjoying a great meal.