Portfolio Cafe’s Salad Bar 2025

Redesigning RISD Portfolio Cafe’s salad bar for better floor circulation, ergonomics and overall experience.

Stemming from my own frustrations with the self-serve station, this proposal was made possible by insights from other students and Jennifer Vieira, Director of Dining Operations at RISD.








How might we design a vertical display system for the self-service salad bar to enhance hygiene, ease of access to produce and efficient circulation in the Portfolio Cafe?
(what if the top view of the fixture becomes the front view?)




What worked: simple, linear flow
What was missing: soup station in the center = collision point


What worked: two sides for different functions, clean flow
What was missing: too big, unclear path for cashout line



Analysis


What worked: linear flow, clear path for cashout line, sectioned clearly
What was missing: sections too big






Initial concept

render

components & top view
front & back

drawer detail

space-saving capacity

refrigeration system within the fixture


Final concept












© 2026 Hrishita Acharya  |