Equal parts bottle shop, craft beer tasting room, and gourmet sandwich cafe, Mammoth was inspired by the role of the local bodega as a historic typology that fosters social interactions within local communities.  The owners aimed to create a truly hybrid program and to provide a flexible space for imbibing, eating, and social gathering that could be stitched into the routine of those in its neighborhood.

The objective was to create a cafe/bar space that could accommodate fluidly and easily multiple guest scenarios from day to night, individual to large group, to stay or to go.  The space is anchored by a long central bar and service counter, which organizes the three overlapped program components and all related interactions between staff and customers. The back bar integrates 48 different beer lines, routed from a lower level tap room, which are customized to accommodate both typical draft taps and specialized growler filler taps.  Each of the 48 lines corresponds to a changeable sign plate within the full-height beer menu board above.  As the inventory changes, the sign templates are updated accordingly and re-hung under the appropriate category, visible from all areas of the space.

Four different seating zones are situated around this central hub, each oriented to accommodate a distinct seating style, group size, activity, and view.  The bar seating area is contained within a metal framework extending from the menu sign board that extends over to the drink rail at the rear of the banquette; pinwheeled around this, multiple seating set-ups are  nestled between existing storefront and this anchoring element.  Overhead, new wood beams help to unify and bring a more intimate scale within the double-high space.

The project was undertaken by Ryan Brooke Thomas in collaboration with architect Melanie Freeland, who worked in concert on design, documentation and execution oversight.