The 150th Roadhouse Restaurant in Cremona

The Roadhouse Restaurant opened in Cremona in 2019 was the 150th location in the Cremonini Group’s chain of steakhouses extending throughout Italy, a number that has since risen to 168. Today the group owns a total of 200 restaurants across all its brands and is well known for its philosophy combining an informal concept with high-quality, affordable meals designed to be shared in large, bright spaces.
The Dolmen Pro stone-effect porcelain stoneware tile from Atlas Concorde was chosen for the exterior paving due to its aesthetic qualities coupled with durability and excellent wear and foot traffic resistance. The same company also supplied the interior surface coverings in the dining area (including the table tops), combining the powerful textural look of large metal-effect slabs (Blaze) with decorative oak-effect inserts (Heartwood).
In their interior design project, Federico Dubini and Davide Ghilardi aimed to create a warm, welcoming ambience.
«We wanted Roadhouse to be a lively venue with an international flavour that would appeal to a highly diverse user base consisting of families and groups of friends with a preference for contemporary, timelessly fashionable spaces,» says Federico Dubini. «We used a multiplicity of materials to bring a sense of dynamism to the large spaces, together with elements, colours and sensations, partitions and projecting volumes that generate an authentic and interesting hierarchy.»
Given the size of the interior spaces, the designers decided to create a number of smaller, more intimate areas with different identities. «We used full-height oak and bronzed metal strips to delineate the spatial boundaries,» says Dubini. «In some areas we opted for custom-made benches and used brightly coloured tiles on the floor to create domestic-style ceramic carpets, bordered by large concrete-effect slabs.»
Located strategically just a short distance from the A21 motorway exit, the new Roadhouse restaurant caters for both regular and occasional users. The interior distribution routes are marked by a zigzag pattern of wood and black stone effect porcelain tiles that distinguish it clearly from the surrounding areas.
The walls are lined with vintage-style wood panelling and textured surfaces consisting of sage-coloured scratched plaster. The individual elements are linked together by bronze-coloured profiles that form a unifying grid pattern.
This family-friendly establishment not only offers a children’s menu but also has a dedicated kids’ play area, a «box made of raw iron, perforated metal sheet and glass decorated with simple, intentionally childlike patterns,» explains the designer.
The bathrooms feature an alternation of geometrically decorated and three-dimensional, volcanic-coloured ceramic wall tiles together with wood detailing on the mirror frames and washbasin countertops.