Introducing ‘Magdalen Café’ – A major transformation of the F&B space on campus at Oxford Science Park.
- Relocated and consolidated counters to streamline operations and customer flow
- Introduced a variety of food display options including a dedicate deli, flexible hot ceran system and tiered salad display
- Increased seat capacity from 80 to 150 seats mixed across traditional dining, high and low seating, plus banquette seating and pods
Introduction
The team at ifse were invited to develop a proposal for the flagship Oxford Science Park development that is home to a number of leading technological and research companies.
As the park developed, the existing space suffered from excessive queuing issues and long customer wait times due to a disconnected counter set up that would see customers ring a bell from a separate counter for a hot beverage, away from the dedicated main food offer.
With ambitious and expansive plans to grow the science park, leading to thousands more people on the campus, the Oxford Science Park team, led by the Head of Catering, Julian Such, invited ifse to develop a proposal for the space as part of a design and build tender.
What we did
After an initial feasibility study testing various set-ups and solutions, the team proposed relocating and consolidating the counter to improve the customer journey and operator flow.
The new counter would now feature a dedicated Pret-like corner coffee offer with ample display space for freshly prepared snacks and treats to accompany customer hot beverages.
We expanded the main hot offer, now featuring a dedicated deli and flexible hot ceran system for main meals and a tiered salad display.
The entire area was overhauled in a tight 7-week period, with eye-catching new terrazzo flooring to compliment and juxtapose the wooden slat counter frontage and the bold, earthy green tiles and a matching wall colour that extended over the F&B area, enclosing the space like a cave.
For out of hours service, a dedicated express micro-market was installed at the entrance to service businesses that operate through the night, complete with large multidecks, retail space for treats and a self service coffee machine and pay point.
This solution would also assist with speed of service for the main counter during high traffic periods. Matching the style of the main counter, the micro-market featured its own brand, the ‘Magdalen Express’, embossed in neon lights.
With the expected increase on campus, the new scheme would increase the seating capacity from 80 to 150 seats mixed across traditional dining, high and low seating as well as a window-long deconstructed banquette bench seat for maximum flexibility for group sizes. Introduced into the space were new 6-seater cave meeting pods for group working, dining or socialising.
A stone throw from the reception space, an eye-catching large neon sign fitted within our new planted wall would attract customers to the F&B space with a dedicated soft seating for a more relaxed environment.
The result
The transformed space received overwhelming positive feedback from both the development and campus community, setting a new standard for dining experiences at Oxford Science Park.
Adam Bristow, Commercial Director at ifse said the following about the refurbishment:
“Working with the OSP team has been fantastic. Together we’ve been able to provide a stunning transformation of the central cafe space that is fit for the businesses on campus. The space now provides a comfortable and inviting environment for all customers, whether working or dining. Julian and the team have been a joy to partner with and we look forward to working with them in the future.”
Elain Arnaoudova, Designer added:
“Expanding capacity from 80 to 150 was always going to be a challenge. With careful reconsideration of the space, we accomplished this using a combination of meeting pods, traditional seating and more flexible arrangements.
By combining eye-catching terrazzo flooring with wooden slat counters and bold earthy tones, we transformed the space into a vibrant, welcoming facility that is cherished by the wider campus community.”