AD ASTRA BREAD CO.
RETAIL
Ad Astra—Latin for “to the stars”—is a minimalist café conceived with cosmic ambition. This is the company’s first stand-alone brick-and-mortar location, evolving from their roots as a beloved pop-up at Other Brother Brewery.
Location: Monterey, CA
Area: 3,000 SQFT
Year: 2023
Work: Interior and Exterior Design, Construction
Interior and Exterior Design, Construction
Photography: Ryan Rosene
Bread becomes the art. Displayed as the visual centerpiece and sensory draw, the design supports this focal point through refined detailing, monochromatic tones, and tactile contrasts.
Signature bleached white oak defines the space, forming elongated floating shelves that showcase the bakery’s sought-after loaves and house merchandise. Sleek black metal reveals lend architectural sharpness, while smooth tonal plaster walls and streamlined, futuristic lighting fixtures reinforce the celestial theme.
The bakery display and point-of-sale counter are crafted from Patagonia Granite, formed by cooled, pressurized volcanic matter. Its crystallized striations suggest planetary motion: a subtle homage to the café’s astral namesake.
Only 30% of the footprint is dedicated to the café itself; the majority houses a state-of-the-art commercial bakery, visible through expansive corner glazing that invites customers to peer behind the scenes.
Custom-designed geometric display cubes, which are mobile and lockable, bring playful adaptability to the space, echoing the modularity of Tetris. These allow staff to continually reshape the presentation in sync with their evolving offerings.
