Brooklyn-based Studio Tre models Bronx cafe location of the chocolate manufacturer Chocobar Cortés to reflect its Caribbean roots. Located in the South Bronx, this cafe offers a chocolate-focused menu and is decorated with bright colors, palm fronds, references to Spanish architecture, and wallpaper made of advertisements.
Since 1929, the fourth-generation family company, Chocobar Cortés, has been cultivating cacao and producing chocolate. Originally beginning in the Dominican Republic, they later extended operations to Puerto Rico. In 2013, their first cafe-restaurant in Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan), Puerto Rico’s historic capital, opened its doors. Every item on the menu features cocoa in some way.
Studio Tre, who conceptualized the second location of The Bronx in New York City, pays homage to its heritage by mirroring the same elements found in the “colmadito” general stores found in Viejo San Juan. The 1,600-square-foot (150-square-metre) space is equipped with different features adopted from the traditional colmaditos including the chequerboard cement-tile flooring. The design of the second location also incorporates the same inviting warmth of the Caribbean. While also reflecting and paying tribute to the textures, colours, and patterns of its first location in Viejo San Juan.
The back bar and bathroom entrances feature three breathtaking Spanish colonial-style arches that encase niches. Wearing the cafe’s signature bright yellow hue, the arches flawlessly match the cafe counter. And bring a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere to the area.
The Studio Tre team, who went to San Juan at the outset of the project to understand the business and its principles, said, “We recycled former chocolate bar molds as a design feature above the cafe counter.”
To pay tribute to the large gates found throughout the old city, ogee wood panelling and bronze hardware were picked for the bar.
Pale green-grey plaster was applied above wood wainscoting on the cafe walls. Therefore, displaying a mix of historic photos and artwork by local and Caribbean artists. The bathrooms within the cafe are decorated with a collage of vibrant cartoons and vintage advertisements, while cheerful jingles streamed from the speakers.
Studio Tre stated that by incorporating a ‘Caribbean spirit’ design and vibrant, artistic elements from the Bronx neighbourhood into restaurant. Chocobar Cortés was created to be a vibrant celebration of culture, chocolate, and community. The cafe simultaneously hosts a series of queer-oriented events and cultural programming that foster a “spirit of acceptance and celebration”.
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