“Our biggest challenge was to create this new look when everybody and their neighbor has fond memories of the old place,” says Dan Maas of locally-based firm ai3, Inc, responsible for the design of Lure restaurant in Atlanta. Replacing Vickery’s Bar and Grill, Maas aimed to create a new local destination with Lure. “When you have a place that’s so well loved, everybody thinks that it’s theirs,” he adds. “We don’t want to diminish those memories, but we want to create this new part on top.”

To immediately change the perspective, Maas and collaborating local firm Peace Design moved the entry from the north side to the south. At the entrance, a 300-year-old anchor from the Boston Harbor introduces diners to the restaurant’s sea-going aesthetic. “We really wanted to get away from those coastal, beach themes and focus more towards the industrial fish business,” explains Maas.

A first glimpse of the space reveals shipyard detailing-including cranks, hooks, lures, pulleys, and boat ties. The shelving behind the bar recalls yacht cabinetry, and the bar seats are upholstered in vinyl. “They are like those old seat-belted captain’s chairs-without the seatbelt-where you lock yourself in for the big catch,” explains Maas. The bar’s zinc top brings to mind tables at a fish market. “What’s kind of cool about zinc bartops is the ability for you to let it patina, so it tracks history a little bit,” he adds. Made of reclaimed oak wood, the back bar complements the back dining area’s semi-private atmosphere created by sail-like canvas curtains.

Transitioning between the bar and the back dining area, a vaulted glass roof shelters hightop tables and boasts a city view. “The previous roof looked like the broken back of an old horse; it had a great sway to it,” says Maas. “We turned that into an advantage.” After replacing the roof with the clear ceiling, the space has the feel of an old warehouse, while wishbone chairs mimic the shape of whalebones.

Outside on the patio, the furniture has a more modern aesthetic. Atop the shell-adorned, tabby concrete floor, wood and stone tables circle a large communal area that honors the original patio’s popular reputation. “Vickery’s had a patio that could have been voted the best in Atlanta,” says Maas. “But the problem was the restaurant level was above the patio level.” By raising the patio itself, the team helped to eliminate the steps and separate the patio from the nearby sidewalk. “It feels like a little oasis in there,” he adds. Spotlights from yachts and large ships light the exterior and bring back the nautical atmosphere.

“Peace Design did a wonderful job accessorizing,” says Maas. Most of the light fixtures inside and out originated from ocean vessels, fishing villages, and seaports, including copper, brass, and bronze fixtures. The nose of a crashed war bomber hangs upside down as a pendant in one of the booths. Near the liquor displays, a smokestack from a small boat adds a touch of history.

“If there’s that familiarity in a space and the ability to relax and enjoy yourself, going into a successfully-designed restaurant is like a little pause in your life,” says Maas. “That’s exactly how I feel at Lure.”