3 Atlanta Eateries by Square Feet Studio
Square Feet Studio founders John and Vivian Bencich share more than their work and personal lives. They also share appetites for great food and fine design. “It’s not uncommon on vacation for us to pop into five or six different places in a day, just to see the space,” Vivian says. “If not to eat, too!”
The firm may eschew a signature style in favor of personalized planning, but that passion is evident in the dozens of hospitality projects they’ve created throughout Atlanta—none more beloved than the Staplehouse, a neighborhood landmark that also includes a nonprofit organization. “The integrity and closeness of the community really sets this market apart,” says John. The same could be said for Square Feet Studio.
1. Bar Mercado
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Size: 3,200 square feet
Standout: Chromatic fabrics, wallcoverings, and neon lights mingle with weathered steel and wood à la Madrid’s lively food halls.
Cuisine: French
Size: 1,650 square feet
Standout: Inspired by Paris’s café-lined streets, the all-day eatery beckons visitors inside custom steel doors to cozy dining quarters accented in greens and blues.
3. Staplehouse
Cuisine: New American
Size: 2,900 square feet + 180-square-foot back garden
Standout: A fin de siècle brick storefront became a neighborhood landmark that boasts a pristine dining patio backdropped by timeworn ivy-covered walls and an oak tree–shaded kitchen.
