Back’s Restaurant and Deli

Xperiencemakers is the architecture and design team behind prominent award-winning wine and cheese producer Charles Back’s latest project, the eponymously-named Back’s – the first outlet of his planned organic deli-cum-restaurant franchise (The Butcher, The Baker, Cheese and Winemaker), situated in Paarl.

Having been involved in architectural and design projects with Charles Back previously – including the design and build of the cheese tasting area at Fairview, and the restaurant and tasting facility at Spice Route wine farm – Xperiencemakers were called in to transform a level two heritage site on Paarl’s historic main road, and create an organic market and restaurant space where Back’s intends to offer the best steak, coldest beers and quality wines to the public.

Back’s Restaurant Is Located On A Level Two Heritage Site

The brief was to develop an architectural personality with elements that were distinct and synonymous with the new Back’s brand, allowing it to be scalable for future franchise opportunities. Back believes the success of previous projects with Xperiencemakers rests on a shared philosophy of authenticity and innovation, paired with attention to detail and an ability to extract and amplify the quirky aspects of a brand to create something special and unique.

Renee de Waal, founder and managing director of Xperiencemakers, says the brief created an exciting opportunity to develop a franchise identity that was distinct and driven by the personality of the highly-regarded Fairview brand and its owner, Charles Back.

“We’re very fortunate to have a longstanding relationship with Charles where we were able to isolate the sweet-spot of the new Back’s brand, and then trusted to execute with minimum intervention in the creative process,” says de Waal, who otherwise believes the authenticity of creative work can become negatively compromised.

De Waal describes the style at Back’s as ‘nouveau meets modern organic’.  “There is a strong interplay of organic materials set against a white and very fresh background. The entire experience is designed to reflect something fresh and wholesome, with installations that create numerous pockets of surprise,” she says.

From the signage, through to custom-designed wallpapers and upholstery fabric, as well as shop-fittings and furniture elements that were crafted for the space, every aspect was considered for the purposes of being translated to future franchise locations.

A Long Lineage of Farming History..

“When you leave Back’s, we hope you leave feeling inspired to make even the smallest change towards a healthier, more harmonious existence with our land, our animals and our communities. If so, we know we’ve done our job.”

– Charles Back

Back says: “The inspiration for Back’s came from my long lineage of farming history, with the fundamental basis of everything I do being integrity and quality. Thanks to Renee’s great aesthetic and international knowledge, I feel she has successfully brought the Back’s image to life, meticulously integrating organic elements with a space that is light, welcoming and tasteful. When you leave Back’s, we hope you leave feeling inspired to make even the smallest change towards a healthier, more harmonious existence with our land, our animals and our communities. If so, we know we’ve done our job.”

Back’s is situated at 191 Main Road in Paarl, and opened its doors to the public in November 2017.

About Xperiencemakers

Xperiencemakers interior architecture & design studio applies creative expertise across hospitality, restaurant, commercial, retail, office and high-end residential design. We are able to offer clients a variety of services from space planning to styling, concept to council approval, technical design, budget and project management. Working with Xperiencemakers is a complete turnkey experience.

We work closely with all of our clients to create considered and bespoke spaces that stand the test of time, with an acute attention to detail. Each of these spatial experiences reflect who our clients are and what they’re most passionate about. Whilst also maximizing their budget to its fullest potential both creatively and financially.  www.xperiencemakers.co.za