The Lowry restaurant, which bills itself as a contemporary urban diner,
is totally revamping the former Hollywood Video space in the Lowry Hill
neighborhood.
For starters, remodelers removed about half of the building, bringing
it down to a cozier 5,000 square feet and making way for parking and a
patio, according to Stephanie Shimp, vice president of the
Blue Plate Restaurant Company, which is behind the venture. "We pretty much gutted the inside," she says.
But Blue Plate kept intact the original cement floors, with a patina, markings,
and discolorations that "are very beautiful, interesting, and full of
character," she says.
As a part of the $1 million renovation of the 1920s-era building,
The Lowry built out a new, lounge-like bar, a 150-seat dining area, and a
kitchen.
A California Modern style characterizes the interior, with warm-colored
wood and tufted-in dark brown leather booths with covered buttons and
orange accents, she says. "It kind of feels like the inside of a boat,"
she says. "I can't think of another interior in the city that looks
anything like it."
On the outside of the building the words
burgers, whiskey, oysters, and
eggs help provide a sense of what the restaurant is all about.
Among its unique offerings are 30 craft beers, along with wine in a keg.
The Lowry will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will have a
late-night menu. "I hope that we will become a real anchor in the
neighborhood, the go-to spot for Lowry Hill, Kenwood, East Isles, and the
Wedge areas," she says.
Additionally, she underscores the 100 new jobs the restaurant is bringing to the
neighborhood. Many of its employees bike, bus or walk to work, she
says.
The Lowry aims to open its doors by Aug. 9, according to Shimp.
Source: Stephanie Shimp, vice president, Blue Plate Restaurant Company
Writer: Anna Pratt