PRESS RELEASE:
Rex Kirby usually describes himself as "the shade-tree restaurant designer of Lakewood," but the fact is that he's getting some worldwide recognition these days for his public space conceptualizations -- and their contributions to the owners' "bottom line."
His sweeping redesign of public areas in the Holiday Inn/Select at Richardson was only his second foray into the realm of hotel-space design, yet netted him a prestigious "Best of the Best" award from the 3,300-strong Six Continents international hotel chain. Kirby received his award in mid-January hot on the heels of learning in the Houston Chronicle that the Kirby-designed Texas Embassy Cantina in London is, according to co-owner Gene Street, "the single largest-grossing Mexican Restaurant in Europe. I can't release the actual numbers due to various confidentiality agreements, but it's grossing several million pounds a year. It's been a hit since Day One, and that is primarily due to the fabulous design that Rex Kirby gave us. He worked long and hard in putting it together, and while we hope its success also rides on the food and the service, the design was a huge contribution to getting folks in the door in the first place."
The sprawling turn of the century Texas border town cantina prompted H. Ross Perot to admiringly opine, "I ain't never seen anything like this before. Wow!"
Kirby's use of faux finishes and natural materials shipped from their points of origin to create three-dimensional street scenes and bold, "shouldn't ought to work, but they DO" color combinations is only part of the "wow" factor. He gives his imagination unfettered freedom at the drawing table, but when it comes to researching his themes, Kirby is a stickler for meticulous authenticity. In researching textures and treatments for the Texas Embassy Cantina, Kirby spent days at a stretch just walking the streets of Monterey photographing an old colonial section of town that had been sealed off in preparation for bulldozing.
"I wanted very precise shots of finishes, the lettering on old signs, aged woodwork and cracked walls and so forth, so that when I went to London and hired the faux finishers, I could give them something very clear-cut to work from."
He used that same research-intensive approach for his designs for the Don Pablo Mexican food chain, traveling around Old Mexico in search of "the genuine article" to authenticate his well-received Fiesta Street Scene treatments.
As far as Dallas and Fort Worth area "street scenes" are concerned, restaurant and club patrons are never much more than a stone's throw away from a Kirby-designed eatery. His career in the area spans nearly 30 years, and includes design projects like the first four Don Pablo's, the first two Tia's Tortillas, the first two Kirby's Steakhouses, numerous Harrigan's, and Guero's Mexican Grille. And going back to the old Boogie Boulevard days of upper Greenville, Kirby and local designer Charles Daboub were responsible for the look and atmosphere of The Pawn Shop Restaurant, The Filling Station, The Bijou, Madison's and Biff's to name a few.
During the past year, Kirby branched into casino design by doing two World Sports Palaces in Panama and Columbia. Projects currently underway include another World Sports Palace in Guadalajara, Mexico; The Bluffs Steak & Seafood House in Farmington, NM; remodeling the lobby of the aforementioned Holiday Inn Select in Richardson and renovations at the Holiday Inn Park Central in Port Arthur, and what he jokingly describes as "the never-ending expansions and remodelings" of the world-renowned Spring Break favorite, Louie's Backyard in South Padre Island, TX.
For further information, link to:http://www.rexkirbydesign.com
Contact: Rex Kirby
214-821-6383
