Restaurant & Café Fit-Outs: Creating Hospitality Spaces
From independent cafés to destination restaurants and bars, hospitality venues need interiors that work as well as they look. Every project has its own requirements. Whether that’s working within a listed building, delivering to a tight programme or carrying out a refurbishment with as little disruption as possible.
TJL has delivered a range of hospitality projects across Scotland. From full restaurant refurbishments to bar upgrades and interior transformations. Here are three recent examples.
VEGA, YOTEL Glasgow
TJL’s Small Works division refurbished the seventh-floor VEGA bar in Glasgow as part of a project to optimise the layout and increase capacity from around 130 to 250 covers.
Working within a busy city-centre location meant every item of material and equipment had to be transported via restricted lift access to the top floor. Careful planning kept the programme on track throughout the works.
The refurbishment included a new U-shaped bar, a meet-and-greet station, decorative partitions and the re-upholstery of existing booth seating. We updated existing tables, installed a new screen above the servery, and manufactured bespoke items in-house to complete the transformation.
The result is a venue that can accommodate significantly more guests while retaining the atmosphere that makes Vega a popular destination.
Contini George Street, Edinburgh
TJL completed the full refurbishment of Contini’s flagship Italian restaurant on George Street, giving the established Edinburgh venue a fresh new look while retaining its character.
Located within a 4,500 sq ft former banking hall, the restaurant and bar were refurbished throughout. The works included new tables, booth seating and loose seating, along with a new bar counter and gantry. Decorative finishes, including bold wallpaper and patterned leather chairs, completed the new interior.
The project also included the refurbishment of the private dining room in collaboration with Bellavista Wines. In addition, we improved the toilets and stairwell.
With the restaurant closed during the works, the programme was carefully planned to minimise downtime. Night shift working allowed the refurbishment to be completed within the required timeframe so the venue could reopen as scheduled.
Le Petit Beefbar, Edinburgh
When Scotland’s first Le Petit Beefbar opened within InterContinental Edinburgh The George in 2023, the aim was to create a restaurant that balanced the character of the historic dining room with a new contemporary identity.
TJL carried out refurbishment works throughout the space, including the manufacture and installation of custom panelling and decorative beading. The walls were finished in a rich forest green, complementing the updated interior.
We reconfigured the back bar with new inserts, floating shelves, and mirrors, while the front bar was shortened and repositioned to create more space. Stone tops were installed on site to complete the feature.
Our joiners manufactured bench seating and tables in our workshop before installing them in the restaurant. The project also included restoring the timber flooring, creating a new corridor between the hotel and restaurant, and adding cloakroom facilities to improve the flow of the space.
The completed refurbishment brought together the building’s historic character with the updated layout and finishes required for a new dining destination.
Delivering hospitality fit-outs across Scotland
Whether it’s a complete restaurant refurbishment or an upgrade to an existing venue, hospitality projects demand careful planning, close coordination and attention to detail.
The projects above demonstrate TJL’s experience in delivering hospitality fit-outs that meet the practical needs of operators while helping create spaces that customers want to return to.
