Cosentino and Stone Systems of NJ have partnered with the renowned Rockwell Group, the architecture and design firm led by David Rockwell, for the group’s recently launched program, DineOut NYC. The program, in coordination with the NYC Hospitality Alliance, helps restaurants and bars located in diverse neighborhoods across the five boroughs safely reopen for outdoor dining with an adaptable and modular outdoor dining system.
The Rockwell Group realized, from the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing mandates for social distancing, that adjustments were going to be made on how people dine out. Knowing this, the Rockwell Group partnered with various organizations, including Cosentino, to help bring outdoor dining spaces to life.
Two of the new outdoor dining locations feature Dekton by Cosentino on the tabletops, including Negril BK in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Pa-Nash in Rosedale, Queens. Due to its unrivaled durability, scratch and stain resistance, and ability to withstand heat, Dekton was the perfect solution for the outdoor tabletops. Both locations feature Dekton Aura 15, a striking white background with dark veins inspired by Calacatta and Carrara marbles.
Inspired by open-air cafes, the Rockwell Group developed a system—including street zoning, space for sanitation stations and restaurant equipment, flooring, barriers, shading, lighting, and furniture—that allowed for expanded dining on the sidewalk and part of the abutting streetscape in front of a restaurant or group of adjacent restaurants. Each location shares a similar design concept. The differences mainly lie in the number of dining pavilions and are based on the restaurant’s location and their access to sidewalks and open streets. For example, at Negril BK there will be dining pavilions with banquette seating in the parking spaces in front of the restaurant’s storefront. Negril BK will also feature a pavilion with bar-height counters to allow for 2-4 guests to stand at the counter. Pa-Nash in Queens will have three dining pavilions.
“With social distancing top of mind, it’s important to guarantee restaurants are making adjustments to how people dine out as well as ensure restaurants are able to safely reopen,” says Massimo Ballucchi, Director of Marketing at Cosentino. “We’re delighted to work with the Rockwell Group’s DineOut NYC to provide Dekton tabletops to these restaurants, and look forward to watching New York’s legendary culinary industry continue to innovate and persevere against the challenges of the pandemic.”
Rockwell Group partnered with NYC-based Shawmut Design and Construction to manage the construction and Empire Technical Fabrication to create the millwork fixtures. Emuamericas and Aceray; Crate & Barrel / CB2 Business Sales; West Elm, the Brooklyn-based, global design company and its parent company Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Business to Business; Cosentino USA and Stone Systems of NJ; and Walters Wicker have provided furniture, string lighting, umbrellas and planters at the varying locations. The Work Room, Inc. fabricated the awnings and the plants came from Sweetbrook Nursery & Garden Center in Staten Island.
Dekton®’s resistance to damage from high and low temperatures, scratches and blemishes makes the ultra-compact surface the perfect product to be applied in restaurants. For example, Dekton® can withstand heat from utensils and dishes placed directly on the surface, without any danger of thermal shock (material rupture) or burn. Additionally, Dekton by Cosentino is almost zero porosity due to the fabrication process, which means not only does it never need to be sealed, but it naturally prevents liquids and gases from penetrating the surface. This also makes the surface particularly easy to clean — Dekton can be cleaned with soap and water, but disinfectant sprays, wipes or all-purpose cleaners from Clorox, Lysol, Puracy, Simple Green, Soft Scrub or Seventh Generation can also be used without any surface damage due to the high chemical resistance of the material.
