The notoriously popular Leeds bar, The Maven, wanted to expand their premises to include a cool and vibrant restaurant above their first business; a speakeasy-style cocktail bar on the first floor of a Victorian building in the centre of Leeds.
As RCE Services is known for our experience in restaurant renovation and catering services installation, we were the first choice to complete the renovation project for The Maven.
The success of The Maven’s first venture meant that as they now had a reputation as an exclusive, hidden cocktail bar accessible only to those “in the know” – there was a specific requirement when it came to the design of the new restaurant.
The brief was to renovate the second-floor restaurant in a style that would seamlessly fit with their current business. Customers should be able to relax and enjoy vintage cocktails in the downstairs bar before continuing their evening in the restaurant above without any discernible change in design or atmosphere.
The Maven wanted the second-floor space divided into private rooms for group bookings and events, as well as a larger restaurant and kitchen area. Unfortunately, as the building dated back to the early Victorian era, the rooms currently situated on the site of the restaurant on the second floor of the building were set unevenly and over different levels. There was currently no room for a commercial kitchen.
To overcome this problem, we fixed flaws in the existing structure in order to stabilize and level out the entire second floor. This allowed the layout for the creation of the required private dining areas and restaurant.
To create a space for the kitchen, we made use of the existing light well situated in the middle of the building and the premises next door. To facilitate the building of the kitchen, the light well was filled in and a fully equipped commercial kitchen was fitted in its place.
RCE Services also fitted all electric and lighting elements, air-conditioning, a state of the art audio sound system, data cabling, fire alarm, wooden flooring and the professional commercial kitchen, and a fully equipt bar, as well as sourcing furnishings and adding the final decorative touches to the restaurant.
