← ALL WORK AVO TACO Bayside exterior at sunset

Commercial · Hospitality

AVO
TACO

A vibrant first location designed to support brand identity, guest experience, and operational performance.

Project

Restaurant Renovation
Bayside, Queens, New York

Area

6,000 SF

Construction

$2.0M

Completed

2022

Program

Dining · Takeout · Commercial Kitchen · Cellar Support

Project Overview

Vibrant dining.
Efficient operations.
Distinctive identity.

Paper Plane Architecture completed the renovation of AVO TACO’s first location in Bayside, Queens, creating a lively 6,000-square-foot restaurant built around both guest experience and the operational demands of a high-performance food-service environment.

The $2.0 million renovation includes full-service dining, a state-of-the-art bar, takeout service, accessible ground-floor restrooms, a commercial kitchen, and a dedicated cellar level supporting preparation, cold storage, and day-to-day operations.

Design Strategy

Experience in front.
Performance behind it.

The planning organizes guest arrival, dining, bar service, takeout, circulation, food preparation, storage, and support functions as one coordinated system. The result is a restaurant that feels energetic and spontaneous to the guest while remaining deliberate and efficient behind the scenes.

01 · THE CHALLENGE

Create a memorable first location.

The project needed to establish a recognizable identity for AVO TACO while adapting an existing commercial space to the demands of a full-service restaurant.

02 · THE RESPONSE

Make the plan do the work.

Dining, bar, takeout, kitchen, restrooms, circulation, prep, cold storage, and cellar operations were organized to support both the public experience and the staff workflow.

03 · THE RESULT

Bold identity. Clear operations.

Color, murals, lighting, texture, exposed structure, warm wood, and custom details create a distinctive environment without losing sight of durability and operational efficiency.

AVO TACO dining space along exterior glazing

Planning

One restaurant.
Two working levels.

The ground floor concentrates the guest experience—entry, dining, bar, takeout, restrooms and primary food-service functions—while the cellar carries preparation, cold storage and operational support. The split allows the public level to remain active and welcoming without sacrificing back-of-house capacity.

AVO TACO ground floor plan — **Ground Floor** Dining · Bar · Takeout · Kitchen · Accessible Restrooms

AVO TACO cellar floor plan — **Cellar Level** Preparation · Cold Storage · Operational Support

Material + Identity

A restaurant people remember before the food even arrives.

The interior layers tropical color, patterned tile, painted graphics, warm timber, brick, blackened steel and woven lighting into a single visual language. The palette gives the first location an immediate sense of personality while maintaining the durability required of a busy restaurant.

AVO TACO colorful millwork and material detail

Outcome

A first location with its own identity.

The completed renovation turns a conventional commercial shell into a layered hospitality environment where architecture, branding and restaurant operations reinforce one another—from the street presence and guest arrival to the dining room, bar, commercial kitchen and cellar support spaces.

Selected Details

Atmosphere built from detail.

AVOTACO

Experience in front.Performance behind it.