When Superette’s owner Maya Velesko sought to reimagine the cafe from its initial inception as a french pâtisserie and wine shop to a full service bistro with flavors and ambiance that hit closer to her Tunisian roots, she naturally called Chinotto House to work our design magic.

As the menu morphed from pastries to a sundried Mediterranean & Middle Eastern dining experience, we took inspiration from our own happy memories of traveling craggy coasts and long leisurely dinners overlooking the sea. The existing deli counters and wine shelves were removed and repurposed to open the space up for a large bar, indoor dining tables, and a quaint lounge area situated by a garage style window that, when open, lets in the liveliness of the adjacent garden patio.

Playing off the unique curved plaster wall already existing within the architecture, we designed a curved bar with a blue tiled countertop that hugs the perimeter of the space and opens the floor up for indoor dining (and occasional dancing!). Decorative, hand glazed Tunisian tiles frame an otherwise overlooked pass-through window, while dark rattan pendants and a cascading arrangement of paper globes illuminate the entire space with moody, warm lighting. Thoughtfully sourced furnishings and accessories finish out the design so the chef’s exquisite menu and the staff’s hospitality shine as brightly as Maya’s vision for culinary culture in Gainesville.