Solid, detailed assessment to determine the usage of each piece of equipment.Interesting approach to use the zone system and label each station based on function.|learly a lot of thought went into organizing the space and making it work efficiently with an ambitious menu.Excellent use of 4,400 square feet for multiple functions, including restaurant dayparts, carryout, hotel room service and event catering.Construction: Kern Konstruction, Tinley Park, Ill. Kitchen Designer: Equipment Dynamics Inc., Chicago Beth Kuczera, president.Interior Designer: Internal LEYE design team in coordination with Simeone Deary Design Group, Chicago Lisa Simeone, owner.Architect of Record: G2 Design Group, Chicago. Chef Partners for Beatrix: John Chiakulas, Rita Dever and Susan Weaver. Executive Vice President and Partner: Marc Jacobs (also managing partner of Antico Posto, Foodease, Foodlife, L. Founder and Chairman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Richard Melman.Owner: Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc. Equipment Investment: $415,000 (includes kitchen and bar equipment only and tax).Staff: Just shy of 100 approximately 2 managers and 40 to 50 persons per shift, including front and back of house. Average Check: Editors estimate breakfast at less than $10 lunch at $14 to $18 and dinner at $33 to $35. Seats: 196 (includes 160 in the dining room and 35 at the wine bar).downstairs area with storage and staff space The decor features exposed wood beams and ductwork and large concrete pillars rising 11 feet to unfinished ceilings that complement the interior design of Aloft Hotel.The name “Beatrix” holds sentimental meaning for legendary Chicago restaurateur Richard Melman, LEYE’s founder and chairman, and his wife, Martha, who both called their mothers “Bea.” “Beatrix” in Latin means voyager or traveler, which refers to the guests the restaurant serves, including visitors staying at the Aloft Hotel, as well as neighborhood residents. The diverse seating invites customers to stop into the restaurant for a quick bite or sit-down experience. Original article: Facilty Design Project of the Month for February 2014: Restaurant Beatrix in ChicagoĪ full-service bar holds bottles in temperature-controlled refrigerators. The kitchen also provides Zoom Service for Aloft's 272 rooms, as well as 400-plus rooms in the adjacent Hyatt Place and Fairfield Suites. The restaurant includes a wine bar, coffee bar and small yet highly efficient partially open display kitchen. Connected to the Aloft Hotel in Chicago's River North Neighborhood, the bustling Beatrix is one of many concepts owned and operated by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE).