The Loop restaurant in downtown Rochester, Minnesota, by HGA Architects and Engineers is located on the street-level of 318 Commons, a mixed-use student residential and commercial development by HGA, The Loop is geared toward the growing downtown population supported by the University of Minnesota Rochester, BioBusiness Center, Mayo Clinic, and other nearby businesses.
A spin-off of the popular Loop restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, The Loop in Rochester takes its design cues from the original venue in an historic warehouse while adding updated details.
The clients, four partners originally from Rochester, sought a cross between a casual pub and an upscale grill.
The restaurant addresses the urban streetscape with a glass vestibule, full-height street-front windows, and two glass garage doors that roll upward, allowing the dining room to spill onto the sidewalk on warm days. The open garage doors will prove particularly popular during Thursdays on First and Third, a weekly outdoor market with live entertainment during the summer.
Inside, the 3,600-square-foot restaurant, seating 135 patrons, features a diverse material palette, striking the balance between historic charm and new-urban hip.
