Dining Concepts is one of Hong Kong’s culinary success stories. Founder Sandeep Sekhri debuted his first restaurant, Bombay Dreams, in 2002, and opened seven more between 2003 and 2007. Following years working with Hong Kong design firm Zanghellini & Holt, Sekhri decided that it made sense to have an in-house designer.
Enter Anita Lopez. Originally from Chile, she made Hong Kong her home in 2008, honing her design talents while working for fellow Chilean Hernan Zanghellini before joining Dining Concepts in 2012. As the group’s design director, she oversees all aspects of its 25 outlets where she works with renowned chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay on Bread Street Kitchen, and helps realize the visions of leading designers, such as Tom Dixon on Alto and Ashley Sutton on Iron Fairies and Ophelia.
Are there any pros and cons of being an in-house designer?
The most satisfying is seeing a restaurant or club finished; the most frustrating is maintaining it. Our outlets are not fine dining establishments. Instead, for our restaurants we focus on cozy, inviting spaces where you can take family and friends. Our bars are innovative, unique designs—spaces that are different from anything else in Hong Kong. But our interiors get highly abused, and I have to keep fixing what doesn’t work.
How does being an operator affect your creativity?
The first thing that has to work is the planning. I am always looking out for Dining Concepts’ best interests. Of course, Sandeep is on top of everything, but he gives me a lot of creative freedom. And Hernan was a very good teacher; he taught me to design with a certain level of detail.
How did you interpret Ashley Sutton’s designs for Iron Fairies and Ophelia?
My biggest challenge was translating [his] visions into drawings we could build from. He is a mastermind, but he does not draw anything beyond sketches. I had to pin him down: How many peacock feathers in Ophelia? What kind of metal tools at the bar for Iron Fairies? For the latter, we envisioned going down into an underworld of fairies. He already worked with a foundry in southern China that made his iron fairies. We envisioned private rooms that were like caves and had life-size kilns produced from the same factory. It takes 10 people to move each one. We shipped them in parts and assembled them on site in a way that is like [pulling] back each layer of an onion.
How did your design process differ for Moroccan nightclub Lilya?
I knew the site well since it housed one of our previous outlets. Sandeep wanted a Moroccan theme, and we had one month to make it happen. Our GM Tom Brusse is from Marrakech and had strong ideas about his culture. I designed the entire space and had everything either custom made or sourced from Morocco, down to the door pulls. My inspiration came from the souks found throughout the Middle East—how things are packaged and sold. Colorful slippers and silk tassels end up becoming feature walls.
Are there any challenges working between Sydney and Hong Kong?
I alternate between a few weeks here and a few weeks in Australia, where my husband has been based for the past two years. I have to be very organized and make sure that I am onsite at the beginning and end of each new outlet. It is amazing to be able to work from home in Sydney: Every morning, I take my baby out for a walk and then deal with emails coming in while he plays nearby. It is a good way for my child to grow with me.
