i.d.o.

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    St. Elmo Steak House

    Goals
    i.d.o. and a local Architectual Firm, Browning Day Mullins & Dierdorf Architects team up with St the owners of St. Elmo for this extensive renovation project. The design team was charged with updating and refreshing an aging interior of one of Indianapolis’ finer and older dining establishments while maintaining the restaurant’s historical ambiance and character. Our goal included cohesively incorporating two new areas with the established old.

    Outcome
    The design team successfully improved the working layout of the restaurant, moving the kitchen and food prep area away from the entrance. New flooring, lighting, windows, furnishings and interior finishes were added to the front entrance, giving new life to the restaurant’s most vital area, the bar that greets patrons upon arrival. Additionally, we designed two new areas with newer elements while flowing them into the established part of the restaurant for a cohesive feel.

    Unique challenges
    The challenge for i.d.o. was to maintain the original 1902-era character of the restaurant while making needed renovations and upgrades. As a testimony to i.d.o.‘s success, our work on St. Elmo Steak House was awarded the “Historic Preservation Award for Continued Use.” In addition, the restaurant remains on many of the city’s “Best Restaurant” lists and continues to be the “Pride of Indianapolis” when it comes to establishments of fine dining with a warm, comfortable and inviting environment.

    Learn more about Browning Day Mullins & Dierdorf Architects at http://www.bdmd.com

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    MCL Cafeteria

    The Situation
    As part of a restaurant chain spanning three states, the MCL Cafeteria located at 86th Street in Indianapolis has special renovation needs. Its existing building, a freestanding facility, had previously been occupied by a competitor. The location was excellent but the facility itself did not fit MCL’s style nor meet its customer service requirements.

    The Assignment
    Part of MCL’s new marketing strategy was to offer new services such as a walk-in deli as well as to provide meeting and banquet facilities to accommodate business and group events. Consequently i.d.o. was hired to provide remodeling and interior design services for the entire building, focusing on the new marketing goals. The client also wanted a fresh, inviting look over and above the average MCL environment, one that combined an East Hampton feel with Midwest down-home charm.

    The Solution
    The i.d.o. design team researched the East Hampton elegant style and balanced it with a more casual or comfortable design style that suits the area. i.d.o. worked within the client’s budget and timeframe to meet MCL’s goals. We designed the new walk-in deli area with its own special entrance, while the regular cafeteria style dining was accommodated separately. The new banquet seating space incorporated an audio-visual system to help MCL meet the needs of business and groups.

    The Results
    The results of i.d.o.’s design is an exciting, innovative MCL restaurant that is elegant, inviting and comfortable, introducing the new deli and banquet concepts to the public. The client anticipates a double-digit increase in revenue as it implements the new marketing strategies to the public.