Popson's
San Francisco, CA
Situated on the first floor of the newly renovated portion of the Warfield Theater building in San Francisco is Popsons, a bright, airy, contemporary fast casual burger joint opening this Spring at 998 Market Street. What first began as a popup concept from the team behind Causwells, Market Street will be Popsons’ first permanent location. Architecture and interior design firm Arcsine was tapped by CEO Alvin Garcia and Chef Adam Rosenblum to design and provide insight for the branding of the restaurant, which will offer seating for 87 diners throughout the 1,300-square-foot interior space and 500-square-foot outdoor area. General contractor Rob Walker of Upcycle Builders collaborated with Arcsine to transform the former office space into an urban eatery unlike other burger hotspots.
The layout of Popsons allows guests to experience the fast casual restaurant in a natural, circular flow. Upon entering through the outdoor dining area from the Market Street corner, a locally-designed wall mural provides visual impact and signals patrons to move towards the black-lacquered wood ordering counter and menu board. Diners can then view their meal being prepared in the open-concept stainless steel kitchen, surrounded by grey glass tiles and other high-design finishes. The malt machine and beer tap are conveniently located near the food pickup counter, which leads to the main dining area outfitted with white banquettes and black laminate tables featuring a warm, oak edge.
The entire space exudes a San Franciscan or metropolitan vibe with exposed concrete walls and columns, as well as artwork commissioned by a local artist. High contrast elements take a leading role in the design concept as black and white accessories, furniture and finishes are paired together in a sophisticated way. Sharp angles and raw materials appear more refined sitting adjacent to warm woods and patterned tile flooring throughout. A simplistic approach to lighting adds to the modern aesthetic of the space and nods to the clean ingredients used in the food, with one large light fixture hovering over the dining room. All finishes were thoughtfully curated with scalability in mind so that as the Popsons brand expands, the design concept can be adapted to new locations.