Mad Greens

Challenge: create a fast casual restaurant design that better represents Mad Greens’ core brand. The company is dedicated to locally sourced, fresh ingredients, with a playful brand voice. The former spaces were a bit bland and didn’t accurately represent the company’s character. We wanted to respect their success and maintain what they had built in terms of customer loyalty.

Our design concept introduces natural and industrial materials to reflect the farm fresh vibe. Natural recycled wood, galvanized metal, warehouse lighting, raw finishes, barn style lights and pine wood to evoke crates of fresh vegetables. To make a bolder statement around the Mad Greens message of fresh food, Xan art directed the evolution of the brand to include large scale graphics in the space. This new look for Mad Greens reflects the company’s maturity as a brand.

Diablo Media is a growing company with a millennial workforce. Our clients purchased a large building in the hip RiNo neighborhood in Denver. The interior architecture had a terrible layout for the media group moving in. We worked with the existing structural elements, but made big changes to the space plan. The focus was to create good flow, and logical separation of space to invite culture building. This smart approach is budget friendly, and is what sets Xan apart creatively. We are experts at conceptualizing new use from old building bones. Our overall goal was to make an engaging workspace with design elements that connect team members, instead of dividing them.

We have been advising the Great Divide Brewery since their initial location. The challenge this time was to expand the brand into a 30,000 sq. foot production facility that also welcomes tour visitors. Beyond design, we played the role of artistic director throughout the facility, in all creative applications. True to the GD brand, the Barrel Bar is industrial featuring steel, concrete and salvaged materials from the site’s previous use — railroad tracks used for the bar rail and community table base, wood for table tops, bar top, and ceiling panels. Actual barrels were redesigned in the form of wall paneling, soffit details, door handles and custom light fixtures.

Atomic Cowboy is open from early till late, housing two restaurant brands — a unique design challenge for the Xan team. We wanted to maintain the character of the first location on Colfax, yet refine the integrated brands in a cohesive blend. The environment features a spaceship vibe combined with a western feel. We created custom steel patchwork, a rough hewn wood counter, pin-up girl and neon cowboy art on the walls. The custom cabinetry features a self-serve coffee station to start the day off right.

The pastry chef is Noah French. We wanted the bakery to feel classic with a masculine undertone, a departure from the girlie cupcake trend in bakeries. Classic elements — white marble, walnut millwork, a brown leather tufted wall bench are combined with an industrial vibe. A custom wall covering features industrial illustrations to emulate old fashioned wallpaper, in a saturated, modern, rich color palette.

The mural, painted by Kamla Presswalla, a local Denver artist, along with the reclaimed wood table featuring a repurposed kinetic cast iron base, work together to add warmth and character to the space. The open kitchen adds energy to an otherwise small restaurant. We packed a well balanced punch into this intimate space.

Giancarlo Macchiarella came to Xan for help in developing his restaurant featuring fabulously delicious Southern Italian fare. The huge chef’s counter is generous and gives the diner a front row seat to watch the team of chefs prepare handmade pasta and bubbling wood fired pizza. The amazing food deserves a hearthy environment —  copper bar top, wood ceilings, a marble counter and fine finishes. We designed a large custom wine cabinet that divides the space, and separates the dining room from the bar.