Hospitality Design - June/July 2021 - 95

The dark and moody Lazy Bird
cocktail bar located in the lower
level in the Hoxton, Chicago
A mural composed of knotty pine by local artist
Nate Harris lines a wall at Wayward restaurant in
the Canopy by Hilton Philadelphia Center City
The chandelier in the Wayward in the Canopy by Hilton
Philadelphia Center City is inspired by gold teeth grills
and crafted by AvroKO's Goodshop Manufacturies
collaborating and testing in real time. There's
nothing bett er. " Adds Harris: " We're all
makers at heart, which ultimately connects us.
[It's a] chance to take control with your mind
and body and dive into it together. If you don't
like something, you move it, you trim it, you
cut it-whatever it takes-and it's immediate. "
Much of this hands-on experience has
helped the partners be bett er collaborators
with their clients, and they pride themselves
on longterm relationships with the likes
of Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm from Boka
Restaurant Group and Quality Branded
Restaurants' Michael Stillman. Projects the
partners are currently working on include
the Inn at Matt ei's Tavern in Los Olivos,
California for Auberge Resorts Collection
and the transformation of an old Whiteleys
department store building into the fi rst
London property for wellness-focused brand
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas.
With 142 employees, AvroKO is growing
in new directions, too. The fi rm's most recent
initiative, Hospitable Inc, centers on the fi rm's
notion of Hospitable Thinking, a philosophy
that revolves around the transformative power
of hospitality, helping guests experience a
combination of delight, signifi cance, and
comfort while becoming part of the larger
whole. " We have been used to collaborating
with each other for so long that it came
naturally, " explains Bradshaw.
Under this umbrella, the partners are
cultivating the community-driven Hospitable
Living concept, a fusion of residential, guest,
and member programming anchored by F&B
outlets. There is also Hospitable Bridge, an
accelerator studio established with Brand
Bureau to help BIPOC and AAPI women
entrepreneurs push their businesses ahead by
putt ing money and mentorship behind ideas
that will improve the hospitality world, says
O'Neal, allowing the owners to grow at their
own pace and develop leadership styles.
During COVID, the partners were
reminded of their early days, when their offi ce
was located just above PUBLIC. " We came
from this intertwined ecosystem, and as we
got bigger, we kind of went away from it. We
realized that it would be nice to go back to
that, " says Farmerie. Now, they are imagining
a more malleable, multi-pronged offi ce culture
" centered on an integrated bar experience or
collaborative areas versus just rows of desks, "
Harris adds. It gets them back to their " create
as a collective " value, focusing on the happiness
of their team while also creating memorable
moments for their clients.
Inevitably, it will bring the tight-knit
crew even closer. There is no visual more
joyful, adds O'Neal, " than seeing the partners,
wherever we're working, late at night, craſt ing,
making, hanging, pushing. "
hospitalitydesign.com June/July 2021
095
Photos by ANDREW THOMAS LEE, JULIE SOEFER, ANTHONY TAHLIER, and courtesy of AVROKO
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - June/July 2021

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