Bethesda, Md. — Fish Taco, a new Baja-style eatery, has opened its latest location at Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, Md. The interiors were designed by GTM Architects.
The fast-casual restaurant harnesses natural daylight with rich and rustic textures, while boasting a beach-like feel including custom wood-painted, whitewashed benches and blue and sea green accents — a nod to the restaurant’s light turquoise branding.
From the project’s start, the design team planned to integrate elements of an authentic Baja eatery, providing a fun, lively and light-filled interior. Floors dappled with a hand-stenciled motif and festival-inspired pendant lights complement eclectic seating arrangements comprised of tufted banquette and intimate booths on platforms clad with Mexican tiles.
Sisal wallcovering and white plastered walls with exposed beams add a richness and depth to the space, solving design challenges associated with a narrow floor plan and high exposed ceilings. Artwork from the owner’s own eco-conscious collection adorns the walls.
Established in 1989 and based in Bethesda, Md., GTM Architects is a comprehensive, award-winning firm offering architecture, design and planning services, as well as sustainable design strategies with many of its design professionals now accredited through the US Green Building Council’s LEED accreditation program. GTM is multi-disciplined with expertise in single-family residential, multifamily/mixed-use, commercial interiors, and commercial including retail, restaurant and recreation/fitness projects in the Washington, D.C, region and across 20 states.
The original Fish Taco opened in 2013 in Cabin John, Md., with the second location now open in Bethesda, Md., in Wildwood Shopping Center. A third location is on its way, which will also be in Bethesda, at the former City Burger spot on Wisconsin Avenue. Francis Namin, who operates Food, Wine & Co. and Don Pollo Charbroiled Chicken in Bethesda, co-owns Fish Taco.
SOURCE: GTM Architects