REEM’S

An Arab bakery coupling Middle Eastern themes with California aesthetics.

A bustling, brightly painted interior, with chalkboard menu boards and custom mural with Arabic lettering.
View of a large glass facade, with outdoor seating in the foreground and patrons, including a child on his mother's lap, eating and socializing.
Inside a coffee shop with some employees and customers, a wooden counter with a flower vase, a coffee machine, and colorful cones on the counter. Customers are ordering, and staff are serving. Large windows with a view outside, showing palm trees and street reflections.

Materials and colors were chosen to create an energetic, warm, and welcoming space for patrons: natural wood and bright colors. Corrugated metal ceiling panels scale the space, and subtly nod to the industrial materials of Oakland.

The bread prep area is a beacon on the bakery’s exterior, using neutral tones and materials to highlight the activity inside. Large windows create a public-facing “performance” as the bread is prepared. At that counter, there is a show of vibrant dressings to top their man’oushe. This creates a visual narrative of the food they are consuming - watching step by step as it is prepared.

A display case of baked goods is in the foreground, with an ornate rustic and partially open window revealing the innerworkings of the bakery behind it.

Client: Reem's California

Location: 3301 12th Street, Suite 133, Oakland CA 94601

Completion: May 2017

Scope: Design + Project Management + Custom Fabrication + Construction