Easy Company Restaurant & Wine Bar
Local firm //3877 designed Easy Company, a French- and Italian-inspired wine bar in Washington D.C., based on the concept of a European piazza with a large bar serving as a gathering area, alongside light plates and wines for groups.
Easy Company opened as The Wharf’s newest hangout spot, bringing a classic French- and Italian-inspired wine bar to the Washington D.C. neighborhood. Better Hospitality Group (BHG) tapped local multidisciplinary firm //3877 to handle the interior design and architecture of the space, marking the design team’s 2nd project collaboration with BHG. Having worked on the brand’s recently-opened TAKODA Restaurant & Beer Garden in Navy Yard, the team conceptualized a community-centric space for Easy Company to accommodate BHG’s growing popularity in the Capital region. Easy Company’s debut encourages all walks of life to come together over an alfresco bar with house wines and frozen drinks.
The design draws inspiration from European piazzas––spaces with large local fountains at the intersection of major streets where a lively community of people often gather in cities like Saint-Cezaire-sur-Siagne, France and Vicchio, Italy. Easy Company strays from the traditional idea of an American wine bar, with //3877’s concentric design featuring a large bar in the middle of the room to serve as a gathering area. Stemmed from BHG’s passion for bringing people together over delicious bites and delectable drinks, Easy Company’s menu features light plates and wine poured by the carafe to serve groups around various seating arrangements.
The environment embraces a bright and airy interior with warm wood finishes, natural patinas, and tousled textures that contribute to a storied and familiar atmosphere. Impactful marquee signage hangs above, displaying cheeky French messages that add a playful touch to the design––allowing moments of discovery for patrons each time they return.
Beyond the host stand lies the main bar, a striking focal point of the space with a 34-foot marquee sign and expansive gantry spanning the length of the space, creating a grand entrance reveal to the main dining area. An eclectic gallery art wall accents indoor bar-height tables and stools that flank the main dining area, eliciting a more casual atmosphere. Through the dining space, guests will find a corridor leading to the restrooms, each featuring custom floor tile messages paired with funky graphic wall coverings, adding to the bar’s eccentric persona. The color palette leans on a spectrum of rose and warm leather tones coupled with balancing neutrals, while metal mesh and patterned tile floors add a textural layer alongside pops of blue that bring vibrancy to the space.
Moving outside, a large, rose-colored exterior enclosure aptly named “The Rosé Garden” provides ample exterior seating featuring faux greenery and glittering views of the waterfront. Accompanied by The Wharf’s bustling variety of restaurants, bars, and retail shops, Easy Company features an operable glass exterior enclosure that lets in the warm light and breeze rolling in off the Potomac River and provides sight lines into the space, eliciting curiosity from passersby with a large interior bar overlooking the water.
Easy Company’s design takes a contemporary approach to European gathering spaces while maintaining the essence of a traditional, authentic piazza. The venue has already established itself as a beloved destination at The Wharf through thoughtful design details, great bites and beverages, shared amongst easy company.
Design: //3877
Client: Better Hospitality Group
Photography: Dan Swartz
