Buster’s Butcher

Buster’s Butcher is a small, high-end meat market occupying a tenant infill space formerly serving as a Subway sandwich shop. The project involved complete interior demolition with extensive slab removal to accommodate a complex network of new plumbing lines. Programmatic requirements were extensive for such an intimate space and included retail display with prepared grab-and-go meals, meat display coolers, deli counter, commercial kitchen, dry-aged beef cooler, butcher table open to public viewing, cold preparation room with window for public viewing, and such back-of-house spaces as the prep room, clean room, and restrooms.

As the end bay of the retail center, the space boasted two exterior walls which allowed for the addition of new windows admitting an abundance of natural light. The front facade is uniquely oblique to the demising walls of the building, resulting in a trapezoidal space. This unique geometry served as a starting point for many of the design features of the space. Floor patterns, ceiling baffles, reveals, and lighting layout align with the front facade, expressing the reality of a geometry that is anything but square. Material selections were made to reinforce the desire for a clean, natural, and rich space. Neutral tones coupled with rich paint colors, natural wood, stone panels, and oversize copper light fixtures all contribute to a very comfortable feel. Limited amounts of stainless steel and graphic accent tiles add moments of flash, resulting in an overall balance of spatial atmosphere.