Canada – Bestie, a German sausage and beer parlour, has opened in Vancouver’s Chinatown district, selling no-frills street food. With a budget of $15,000 (€11,575, £9,825) gained on crowdsourcing site Indiegogo in late 2012, and a small premises of only 750 square feet, a simple layout reflects the honesty of the ingredients.
First-time restaurateurs Clinton McDougall and Dane Brown worked with Scott and Scott Architects to design the restaurant using simple materials so it could accommodate events and a changing customer demographic. Seating a maximum of 25 people, Bestie has unanchored tables, benches with coloured vinyl cushions, copper counters and simple bar stools designed by Joji Fukushima. The back wall is drilled with holes where light bulbs hang from removable wooden pegs, designed by Zoe Garred, which also act as hooks for clothing and additional stools.
The menu consists of Gourmet Junk German street food currywurst, sausage and crispy fries, sauerkraut and home-made condiments. The meat is natural and sustainably sourced, and the owners promise the best German beer available.
Reducing retail design to the basics conveys honesty and transparency, a key detail of our Flexthetics microtrend.