Release Date: November 15, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MICHELIN-RATED THIERRY CHOCOLAT BRINGS FRENCH PATISSERIES TO VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Multiple Outlets Feature Contoured Durapalm Palm Paneling and Natural Stone Floors to Evoke the Look and Feel of Cafes from Owner Thierry Busset’s Native France
San Francisco, CA – Nov 15, 2021 – Michelin-rated Thierry Chocolat recently opened a second contemporary French patisserie café in the Mount Pleasant district of Vancouver, British Columbia.
The first Thierry Chocolat café, which was the design platform for the new Mount Pleasant location, was created by Vancouver, BC-based, multidisciplinary design firm Bricault Design. Situated along a bourgeoning stretch of high-end boutiques, the renovation of an existing space, which previously housed a deli, transformed a banal street-level office tower storefront into an inviting and playfully elegant space. Seen from the street, a teak-lined patio deck with warm burgundy canopy provides a theater for street-side cafe life.
Perforated with a grid of miniature portholes, an oversized Durapalm palmwood door provides a grand entrance to an intimately-scaled cafe space, which is in turn enveloped in contoured Durapalm walls and natural stone floors. Durapalm tabletops were custom-fabricated for the first café, and this design has carried through to the Mount Pleasant location as well.
“Durapalm provides a sensuously ‘chocolaty’ aesthetic, with tambour paneling curving around the entire interior,” Bricault said. “It’s very attractive, and to date its durability has stood the test of time.”
The subtle print of a lacy doily on the ceiling is a nod to the intricate, handmade processes at work on site. Custom glass and marble display cases contain a dazzling array of macarons, chocolates, pastries, and cakes, while a custom refrigeration display is integrated into a ribbon of curved retail walls.
Serving as a backdrop for the pastry counter, a large picture window to the chocolate kitchen features the behind-the-scenes work of Busset and his staff, while another picture window beyond reveals a pastry kitchen and the multiple layers of production required to supply the cafe and retail operation.
A central component of the look and feel of the cafe includes the integrated graphic and packaging design. Black cherry and silver serve as the primary colors for most of the packaging, while the colors, shape, and graphic treatment of macaron boxes were inspired by the variegated patterns of the celebrated French confectioneries inside. Designed in tandem, the interior, packaging, and graphic design—all created by Bricault—are fully integrated to showcase Busset’s exquisite creations.
About Durapalm
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. pivoting from their success in laminated bamboo, (Plyboo), entered the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000. Today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.
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