Lena

A Spanish-inspired restaurant in Detroit's Brush Park built around the elemental experience of live-fire cooking, with an open kitchen centered on a custom wood-burning hearth. Leña's culinary concept presented a unique foodservice design opportunity, with nearly every dish on the menu interacting with live fire. The kitchen was designed around the hearth as both the heart of the cooking operation and a defining part of the guest experience, requiring careful coordination of equipment, ventilation, workflow, and supporting production spaces. The result is a highly functional open kitchen that allows the culinary team to showcase the theater and craft of wood-fired cooking while supporting a seasonal, Spanish-inspired menu built around locally sourced ingredients. The foodservice design complements Leña's warm, energetic atmosphere and helps make the live-fire cooking process an integral part of the restaurant's identity.