Why did you want to start your own firm?
David Tracz: We worked together at several firms, and were friends and roommates. We spent a lot of time together: commuting, on vacations, and just relaxing and hanging out. We had been talking about the firm idea, but it was all about timing.
David Shove-Brown: Our conversations got more serious around 2009. We put together our plan, completed a partnership agreement, and hung our shingle.
Big break?
DSB: Matchbox [restaurant] in DC. It was a beautiful project with a great team. It showed the world that we were serious about quality design. We worked crazy hours getting the work done while growing the firm, and it was worth every second of it.
Why do you love hospitality design?
DT: I love that we create spaces that people enjoy and connect with in a way that no other architectural or interior design spaces can. The experience of each restaurant or a hotel is so unique, and the way that people connect with the food, the stay, and the space makes it rewarding.
What are some obstacles you faced as a new firm?
DT: Balance, getting paid, and setting the right fees. Then it was paying people, competing for projects, and building competitive benefits. As time has gone on, these obstacles evolve. The biggest obstacle, however, was making the decision to start.
DSB: The biggest challenge was wearing all these hats from marketing to design to production to billing to collections to public relations. There were days that all we did was go from meeting to meeting, and we didn’t sit down to get work done until after dinner.
On the boards?
DT: We are about to start on a small-scale boutique hotel. It’s planned to be a destination restaurant and hotel with a focus on the culinary arts. We are excited to work closely with the chef in developing the concept, the restaurant, and the rooms. Did I mention it’s in a historic bank? What a dream project.
Biggest opportunity of owning your own firm?
DSB: I get to work with my best friend and a group of super fun, crazy talented individuals every day producing some great designs. Second, I have the flexibility to spend time with my family. My parents have been amazingly supportive my entire life, and I want to do the same for my daughter. I don’t want to miss swim meets and school concerts.
What’s one thing you would have done differently in the beginning?
DT: I wish we had done it sooner.
An open kitchen and 12-foot-high wood-slatted ceilings mark Boqueria in Washington, DC
A white oak-clad private dining room in Boqueria
12 Stories cocktail bar crowns the InterContinental Hotel at the Wharf in Washington, DC
Seating nooks and expansive windows at 12 Stories offer views of the DC skyline
