KAMPAI
GARDEN
[ Context ]
Kampai is a trendy restaurant and bar offering sophisticated Asian dishes, oysters, and cocktails. It was created as the anchor tenant for the once-heralded but declining Faubourg Sainte-Catherine, a mixed-use complex located in a desolate stretch of Shaughnessy Village. Once vibrant, the property had become run-down, largely unoccupied, and disconnected from the surrounding community despite sitting in the heart of a densely populated area filled with students and Asian-immigrant residents. The site required a dramatic repositioning to revive foot traffic, reestablish relevance, and reconnect with its local market.
[ The Ask ]
Create a flagship anchor tenant
Develop a large-format, high-impact restaurant and bar capable of driving traffic and repositioning an aging commercial complex.
Revitalize an underused space
Transform a former movie rental store and hair salon into a dynamic hospitality destination.
Reconnect Faubourg to its community
Build a concept that appealed to both white-collar professionals and the surrounding student and immigrant populations.
Support the mixed-use redevelopment
Use hospitality to increase visibility, rebrand the property, and elevate the perception of the entire 225,000 sq. ft. complex.
Results
Large-Scale Concept Launch
- sq. ft. restaurant and bar—one of the largest in the area—to act as a true anchor for the project.
- Positioned Kampai as a social hub blending restaurant, bar, and nightlife programming.
Chef-Driven Asian Menu
- Partnered with international star chef Antonio Park to design an accessible Asian-inspired menu.
- Strategy: appeal to diverse demographic groups—after-work professionals, students, and local residents alike.
Adaptive Day-to-Night Programming
- White-collar professionals targeted for after-work dinners and cocktails.
- University student crowds captured through late-night service and approachable pricing.
- Blended hospitality model created consistent traffic from open to close.
Design-Led Repositioning
- Reimagined the former retail units through bold, eclectic interior design.
- Kampai’s design was selected in the 2017 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, praised for its innovative use of volume and space.
- The architectural transformation served as a visual signal of the Faubourg’s rebirth.
