Kaiyo Restaurant
San Francisco restaurant featuring custom-designed modern metal panels in the downstairs interior and on the rooftop exterior.
Project Snapshot
Client: BXB Hospitality
Location: San Francisco, CA
Sector: Commercial
Scope: Custom designed and fabricated panels
Timeline: Rooftop August 2021-January 2022; Downstairs December 2022-March 2024
Materials: 1/8″ Aluminum sheet plate
Architect/GC: William Duff Architects/Cookline Construction
The Ask
This was a two-part project for the new KAIYŌ Restaurant in San Francisco. The client engaged Modern Metal to create a custom pattern that would reflect the restaurant’s Japanese-Peruvian fusion concept and incorporate elements of their brand identity. The pattern needed to be versatile enough to be used across multiple applications—first as arched panels on the exterior rooftop, and later as screen dividers throughout the downstairs interior.
Our Role
Modern Metal designed and fabricated custom arched panels for the rooftop exterior and matching screen dividers for the downstairs interior, all cut from single sheets of 11-gauge aluminum. Each piece was powder coated in a custom Tiger exterior-grade finish selected by the client, and carefully patterned to balance visual impact from a distance with an appropriate scale for the space. What set this project apart was the deeply personalized design process—Modern Metal drew inspiration from Peruvian textiles, Japanese minimalism, and the cultural fusion behind the restaurant’s concept to create a truly one-of-a-kind pattern. Installation was executed by Michael Schoening of Niche Plasma on the rooftop, with painted wood trim, and by Freeman Troutman and Cookline Construction downstairs.
Why It Matters
This project highlights Modern Metal’s strength in creating deeply personalized, custom-designed metalwork that reflects the restaurant’s unique cultural identity and branding—achieved through close collaboration with the owner and architect team, and supported by detailed technical coordination from concept to installation.
Key Features
Laser-cut from 1/8″ (11 ga / .125″) aluminum with custom Kaiyō pattern
Panels finished with primer and Tiger Drylac Classic Green (038/50037), suitable for exterior rooftop exposure
Panels engineered to withstand San Francisco rooftop wind conditions
Custom panel sizes, including:
Interior: Two single sheet panels at 4′-3 1/4″w x 11′-10 3/4″h and 5′-9 1/4″ w x 11′-10 3/4″h
Rooftop: Three arched panels at 60″w x 84″h and two smaller arches at 60″w x 24″h
Close coordination with architect, restaurant owner, and contractors throughout design and fabrication
4–6 week lead time from design sign-off to delivery, aligned with restaurant opening schedule
Delivered install-ready with on-time, white-glove delivery by local partner Ron Green
