Sumo Dog

Sumo Dog relocated from Koreatown to The Gallery on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, creating a new fast-casual restaurant around the brand’s Japanese-inspired menu and identity. ADC provided interior design and kitchen layout design and coordination for the new location.

The design takes cues from Japanese materials and street-food settings without recreating them literally. A concrete countertop and wood bar front reference the dark character of Shou Sugi Ban, while bamboo paneling and graphic canvas banners carry the concept through the space.

The result is a compact restaurant with an open counter and kitchen that puts the food and brand graphics at the front of the experience. The material palette gives the small space its own identity within the larger food hall.