The Banchet Awards 2026 Finalist for Best Design

Adalina Prime Best Design Finalist The Banchet Awards

The Banchet Awards: Adalina Prime Nominated for Best Design

We’re honored that Adalina Prime has been named a 2026 nominee for Best Design at The Banchet Awards, Chicago’s signature celebration of culinary excellence. The Banchet Awards gather more than 400 of Chicago’s leading chefs, hospitality professionals, and industry insiders each year to recognize originality and talent across the region, a legacy named for Chef Jean Banchet.

Why The Recognition Matters

Design is inseparable from hospitality. Lighting, acoustics, sightlines, circulation, and materiality shape how guests feel the moment they arrive, and how they remember the experience after they leave. Being recognized by The Banchet Awards highlights the role design plays in creating restaurant experiences that are not only beautiful but operationally sound and guest-centric. The other nominees 2026 Banchet Awards nominees for Best Design include Matilda, Noriko Handroll Bar, and The Alston.

2026 Banchet Awards for Best Design Dunne Kozlowski

360 N. Green Street in Fulton Market

Adalina Prime sits at 360 N. Green Street in the heart of Fulton Market, a neighborhood that has evolved from its meatpacking roots into one of Chicago’s most dynamic dining destinations. The building, developed by Sterling Bay, serves as the Midwest HQ for Boston Consulting Group and anchors a vibrant, design-forward corridor. The neighborhood’s momentum, including its concentration of boundary-pushing kitchens, makes it a fitting home for a next-generation steakhouse concept. (For those following Chicago dining, you know Fulton Market continues to attract top openings and national attention.)

Our Hospitality Design Process for Adalina Prime

At Dunne Kozlowski, our hospitality design approach to creating unique experiences balances brand storytelling with operational clarity. For Adalina Prime, we translated a modern steakhouse vision into a sequence of guest experiences, each calibrated for mood, pace, and memory.

Discovery & Alignment

We began with working with the creators of Adalina, to align on the concept’s north star: “redefining today’s steakhouse, one moment at a time.” From there, we mapped target guest journeys (date night, business dinner, celebratory table, solo at the bar). We outlined service choreography with FOH/BOH leads to ensure design supported real-world operations.

Narrative & Zoning

The plan organizes the restaurant into zones with distinct energy: Arrival, bar, lounge, main dining, private dining, and chef-adjacent moments so that teams can tune the room by time of day and cover count. Clear circulation for guests and staff reduces cross-traffic, improves table turns, and keeps the floor feeling effortless even at peak volume.

Materiality & Touch

Materials were selected for visual warmth and durability: honed and brushed stones, deeply grained woods, tailored upholstery, and metals that age gracefully. Each surface was vetted for cleanability, longevity, and acoustic contribution.

Light & Acoustics

Lighting layers, glow for warmth, aim for highlight, dim for intimacy, allow the room to shift from daytime polish to evening allure. Acoustic treatments were integrated into ceilings, wall assemblies, and furniture to manage lively energy without sacrificing conversation, especially critical for a steakhouse’s celebratory profile.

Bar as a Beacon

The bar functions as the restaurant’s social lens: a welcoming beacon from arrival that sets the tone for hospitality. We designed bartender ergonomics, under-bar equipment, and guest sightlines in tandem to keep service fluid while framing the craft on display.

Operational Flow

Back-of-house planning centered on efficiency and safety: direct routes, minimal pinch points, smart pass placement, and the hot/cold handoff designed for consistency at volume. Storage and service stations were located to reduce steps, protect presentation integrity, and keep the floor uncluttered even during peak coursing.

Brand Integration

From subtle details to custom millwork, every touchpoint was designed to express the brand’s character through form, proportion, and craftsmanship, not through overt signage or repetition. Materials, lighting, and furniture were chosen to subtly echo Adalina Prime’s identity: refined, confident, and rooted in experience. The result is a space where brand and architecture merge seamlessly, allowing the design itself to tell the story.

Looks Ahead

Awards celebrate a moment; great hospitality design endures through service, seasons, and thousands of guest memories. We’re grateful to the Chicago hospitality community and to The Banchet Awards for recognizing design’s role in remarkable dining experiences, and we’re excited to keep building spaces that welcome, delight, and perform.