A RJ Alonto
Café
Three floors, one continuous idea: quick service on the ground, flexible indoor / al fresco dining above it, and a rooftop that looks straight down into all of it.
A note before you review this
Amil, thank you for trusting JMG with your café. What follows is the updated concept design, refined from your feedback — the firewall line is now explicitly labeled, the rear stair and emergency access run through all three floors, and the rooftop now opens visually onto the second-floor al fresco through a glass guardrail.
This isn’t a generic template stretched to fit your lot. Every floor here was laid out around how your team actually works and how your guests will actually move through the space — that’s how we approach every project, and it’s why we ask for a proper assessment before any design work begins.
Project overview
The specification below is drawn directly from the confirmed site assessment.
Design direction
The brief called for minimalist, white, and neutral — a palette that lets the space breathe and ages well, rather than chasing a trend that looks dated in two years. We’ve kept sightlines open, finishes clean, and circulation simple across all three levels. Final material selections (flooring, ceiling treatment, lighting temperature, signage-wall finish) will be locked in during design development, once you’ve reviewed this layout.
Ground floor — arrival & service
Counter, dining & facilities
- Counter area is the first thing guests see on entry, with a clear line of sight to the dining area beyond.
- Two separate comfort rooms (Male / Female) sit beside the counter — exactly as requested, and out of the direct dining sightline.
- Display shelves / signature wall doubles as your brand moment on the way to the stairs.
- Working area stays outside this structure and is reached through its own rear stair — the same stair also serves as the emergency exit, exactly as you asked for.
- Right-side wall is called out and labeled as the firewall — no openings placed against it, front stair and rear stair both run clear of it.
- Main stair is a straight run, not spiral — accessible for all ages, without eating into the dining footprint.
Second floor — indoor & al fresco
Split dining experience
- Floor is divided evenly — half enclosed indoor dining, half open-air al fresco, per your instruction.
- Glass panel with a sliding glass door is the divider between the two — open it up on a good evening, close it off when the weather turns.
- Bar-height communal table gives solo guests and small meetings a distinct seating option, separate from the standard tables.
- Planters and an art wall carry texture into the indoor zone without breaking the minimalist palette.
- Rear stair continues up from the ground floor, keeping firewall clearance and giving the working area direct access to this level as well.
Rooftop — the destination level
Rooftop al fresco
- Footprint is intentionally half the size of the floor below, as instructed.
- Lounge seating up front for casual guests; dining tables further back for groups.
- A frameless glass guardrail opens the rear half of this floor directly over the second-floor al fresco area — guests up top look straight down into it, so the connection between levels is felt, not just implied.
- Rear stair continues down from here, keeping the same working-area access and emergency egress running through all three floors.
- Completes the vertical story: ground floor for quick service, second floor for flexible indoor/outdoor dining, rooftop as the view — the destination guests linger in.
Plan legend & reference notes
For quick reference across all three levels — access points, the firewall line, and the sliding glass door are called out consistently on every plan.
The rear stair we flagged in our last review is now built into the plan on all three floors — giving the working area direct access to every level while doubling as the emergency exit, exactly as you asked. The firewall line is explicitly labeled rather than just implied, and the rooftop now opens over the second-floor al fresco through a frameless glass guardrail, which reads stronger in person than a simple sightline.
One item remains open on our end: the sliding-door connection between counter and working area is confirmed in principle — exact width, swing/track direction, and service flow will be locked in once your working area’s own layout is finalized on your end.
Next steps
Review & confirm
You review this updated concept and confirm you’re happy with the layout.
Engineering integration
Our architect finalizes structural, electrical, and plumbing integration against this plan.
Formal proposal
We issue the formal Design & Build proposal with detailed scope of work, cost breakdown, and project timeline.