KITCHEN LAO T21 PATTAYA

Category : F&B

Design by : Collective Studio

Location : Pattaya , Chonburi

Completed : July 2017

“Local food with a modern atmosphere.”

That simple phrase became the identity of Kitchen Lao, a restaurant brand that has now grown to its second branch.

After the overwhelming success of the first location at Fashion Island—where customers regularly queued outside the restaurant from opening until closing time—the brand expanded once again, this time to Terminal 21 Pattaya.

In fact, the restaurant became so popular that even the designers themselves had to wait until nearly mall closing hours just to find a chance to eat there.

The owner eventually came to one conclusion:

“Maybe the restaurant is successful because the design looks good.”

And honestly… we were happy to support that theory.

So The Collective Studio was invited back once again to design the second branch.

Designing the Second Branch

For us, designing the first restaurant is always challenging.

But designing the second branch is even harder.

The first branch establishes the identity.

The second branch must evolve it without losing what people already love.

Fortunately, this new location in Pattaya gave us many more possibilities to explore creatively.

The very first idea that came to mind was:

“The colorful energy of Pattaya blended with the bold spirit of Northeastern Thai cuisine.”

We wanted to preserve the soul of the original restaurant while dressing it up with a more vibrant and playful personality inspired by Pattaya’s seaside atmosphere.

Two additional accent colors were introduced into the palette, giving the restaurant a brighter and more energetic character while still maintaining its unmistakable Isaan identity.

From Concept to Construction

As always, the process began with understanding the limitations of the site itself.

We immediately visited the location to study the space, circulation, construction conditions, and operational constraints before moving forward with the design.

Once the creative direction became clear, the first design proposal quickly emerged—full of color, local character, and contemporary Isaan atmosphere.

After finalizing the design, we also assisted the client in coordinating construction to ensure the restaurant could open smoothly within the scheduled timeline.

Some details were slightly adjusted during construction to improve long-term maintenance and usability, but the core atmosphere and concept remained intact.

More Than Just a Restaurant

Designing the first branch was exciting.

But being invited to design the second branch felt even more meaningful.

Because it represents something larger than aesthetics alone.

It means the design helped create value for the business.

It means the restaurant succeeded strongly enough for the owner to see new opportunities and continue growing the brand.

And for us as designers, that may be one of the most rewarding feelings of all.

Now the only question left is…

What should Kitchen Lao Branch No. 3 look like?