ROLLICK'S RESTAURANTS

Project Overview
Rollick’s Restaurant was designed as a neighborhood destination for jazz, dining, and family entertainment in Juno Beach, Florida. I was inspired by the excitement and nostalgia of classic carnival boardwalks and I want the restaurant to be a blend of live music, imaginative design and an interactive experience that encouraged guests to explore and play. Every design decision, from the finishes and furnishings, to the artwork and moving displays, supported the idea that the overall experience in an artistic playground, is as vital as what the chefs, bartenders and musicians, create.

Design Story
My ideas were formed by researching the whimsy of old-fashioned amusement parks, where every corner held an unexpected surprise. Rather than treating finishes as background elements, I approached every surface as an artistic opportunity. The walls were layered with splattered colors in contrasting flat and gloss enamels, tabletops were finished with hand-applied tissue paper collage, and the bar was topped with colorful mosaic tile. These handcrafted details created a lively atmosphere of surprises.

The restaurant unfolded as a series of distinct spaces. Guests moved from the colorful energetic bar into an intimate jazz cocktail room before reaching raised dining areas filled with playful mechanical displays. Hidden inside custom showcases, circus animals and clowns could be activated by the seated guests. This made the kids often surprised and entertained. In another dining area,  an authentic moving shooting gallery, constructed by craftsmen who specialized in traditional carnival booths, allowed the bartender to trigger the animated ducks, surprising the diners on a whim.

My staff and I searched the county for used furniture and refinished chairs and cabinets with richly colored aniline dyes and dark stains, to create the warmth and character of vintage furniture. This approach gave the restaurant an authentic old world feel, rather than the appearance of newly manufactured décor shown in many restaurants at the time. 

Original artwork completed the experience. Acclaimed Cuban artist Carlos Alfonzo created a series of oil paintings inspired by antique circus posters, displayed in richly ornamented Victorian-style frames above the bar. The decorative relief frames on these bar paintings and other showcase you see in the photos, were fabricated by Ornacem Industries in Miami. Originally from Havana, Cuba, these expert craftsman were known for creating palaces for Fidel Castro. 

What Makes This Project Unique
I wanted Rollick’s to be an immersive environment where guests became active participants in the experience. The moving displays in an old world atmosphere coupled with live jazz, combined to create an atmosphere of surprise and fun, which was my primary aim. This project also reflects a design philosophy that has remained central to my work throughout my career: memorable spaces invite people to engage. Whether touching a unique surface or discovering an unexpected movement behind a wall or sharing in the excitement of interacting, in an immersive way, transforms a restaurant into an experience guests remember long after the meal is over.