Cada designs ‘of the moment’ interiors for second branch of Mexican restaurant Poncho No 8

Cada has designed the interiors for Mexican restaurant Poncho No 8’s new branch, which is set to open near Paternoster Square in St Paul’s, London.

The first Poncho No 8 branch, based in Spitalfields Market, opened last year with graphics created by Telegramme and the interiors designed by Something From Us.

Poncho No 8 approached Cada four months ago due to the consultancy’s credentials in catering concept design.

Nicholas Troen, director of Poncho No 8, says, ’We wanted to create a distinctive and professional brand. Cada has a great track record with Pret A Manger and Itsu, which is the area we’re looking to emulate, so it seemed like a natural choice.’

Cada co-founder David Callcott, says, ’Paternoster Square is a really vibrant area – there are a lot of offerings around there. Poncho No 8 needs to stand out, and it does. We’ve created an interior concept that is of the moment and “today”.’

The project involved creating the entire interior concept for the store, and Cada applied Poncho No 8’s existing corporate colours and graphics to the facia, sign and interiors. Troen says, ’The brand had to reflect the sense of playfulness and fun, but balance that with [suggestions of] quality and premium food.’

Antica floor panelling has been fitted to create a pattern of tessellating triangular shapes, referencing the thread of a poncho.

A suspended, sculptural ceiling has been implemented on one side of the store, and Cada installed upside-down chilli plant pots hanging from the ceiling.

The consultancy also inserted a ’poser’ table and stools to the front glass.

Cada has also extended Poncho No 8’s existing product offer, introducing retail elements and a Mexican coffee bar.

Calcott says one of the main challenges was to ensure back-of-house facilities were adequate to support the front of house. He adds, ’The operation of any outlet has to work: it doesn’t matter how well we design, if it doesn’t work, it will fail.’

The restaurant will open on 13 December and Troen says he hopes to open two more branches in the next year, with Cada as his ’first port of call’ for the interiors.