Wayfair
Kitchen Design | New Concept Creation | Future Unit Prototyping
Not just a place to buy, but a place to be.
Showcase Award
2025 FCSI
AWARDED TO CINILITTLE,
COLLABORATOR
20+
RECIPES DEVELOPED
Store of the Year
FOR 25K SQ. FT.
2025 SHOP! ASSOCIATION AWARDS
When Wayfair launched its first-ever brick-and-mortar store in Wilmette, Illinois, the goal was to create an immersive brand experience that seamlessly bridged the gap between retail and lifestyle. At the heart of this new format sits The Porch—a warm, welcoming café space designed to invite guests to linger, recharge, and connect.
Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, led the architectural and interior design of the flagship store, envisioning a space that reflects Wayfair’s customer-focused ethos through thoughtful spatial planning and striking aesthetics. To complement this environment, The Culinary Edge was brought in to help bring the foodservice component to life.
The challenge.
The insight.
The Culinary Edge was enlisted to create a food and beverage experience that would resonate with Wayfair’s brand while being simple to operate and scale. The result: a streamlined, craveable all day menu of pastries, and coffee for the morning, to cafe classics like Macaroni & Cheese, pressed sandwiches, salads, as well as wine and beer, that reflects Wayfair’s ethos—easy-to-love, high-quality offerings that are stylish, comforting, and accessible. Designed to feel like a natural extension of the retail environment, the menu enhances the overall guest experience with an inviting, brand-aligned touch.
The work.
In close partnership with kitchen design consultants Cinilittle, The Culinary Edge helped shape the back-of-house environment to ensure that function followed form. This collaboration guaranteed that the kitchen could easily support peak hour at the cafe, while fitting seamlessly into the architectural constraints of the space designed by Gensler.
This partnership across disciplines was key. While Gensler led the architectural and interior vision, The Culinary Edge’s role was to support their work by developing a culinary experience that elevated the guest journey while respecting the design and operational requirements of the space. In collaboration with Cinilittle, The Culinary Edge ensured that the kitchen design aligned perfectly with both the spatial design and the operational strategy.
The results.
The Porch has since earned design accolades and industry recognition for its innovative integration of hospitality into a retail environment. Its success stands as a testament to what’s possible when strategic culinary thinking, operational pragmatism, and visionary design come together.