Rheon Café, a new casual dining concept by Rheon Automatic Machinery Co., is the Japanese baking equipment manufacturer’s first U.S. foray into creating fresh-baked goods.

Working with Tobin + Parnes Design Enterprises (New York), Rheon envisioned the SoHo café with a relaxed setting to reflect the hand-made processes of baking.

Warm, clean materials, such as natural honey-colored wood, white carrera marble and ceramic tiles emphasize that freshness. An open bakery room allows customers to watch all the baking live – an experience the retailer believes stresses the “touch of hands” in its process.

Low-voltage lighting and incandescent sconces highlight interior finishes and food to add to the inviting, fresh-looking atmosphere. That bright glow floods through an all-glass storefront to the sidewalk.

“Customers often come in during the winter months because the store looks so warm to them from the outside,” says Carol Tobin, principal for Tobin + Parnes.

Source List:

Client: Rheon Café, New York – Tomoyasu Hayakawa, director of overseas sales; Yoshiaki Okazaki, director; Kenichi Kato, director’s assistant

Design/Architect: Tobin + Parnes Design Enterprises, New York – Carol Tobin, principal; Akiko Yamada, senior associate; Dorothy Dejkanovic, interior designer; Chelsea Watlington, junior designer; Gerard Orozco, senior associate; Robert Parnes, architect of record / principal

Architect: Robert Mark Parnes Architecture LLC, New York

General Contractor: Katsura Construction, Bronx, N.Y.

Outside Design Consultants: Tan Engineering, Flushing, N.Y. (MEPS engineering); Office of James Ruderman, New York (structural engineering); Plan B Engineering, Trevose, Pa. (shoring engineer); Code LLC, New York (code consultant); Nadia Zadneprianski, Staten Island, N.Y. (graphic design); Huy Lim, Edgewater, N.J. (menu board design); Starbright Design, New York (floral designer)

Flooring: Hastings, New York

Walls: Stone Source, New York

Furniture: Beaufurn Furniture, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Smith & Hawken, New York

Lighting: LBL Lighting, New York

Signage/Graphics: IDL Concepts Inc., New York

Equipment: Rheon Automatic Machinery Co. Ltd., Utsunomiya, Japan

Photography: Vanni Archive, New York