WOLFIE’S
“Nobody had the answer of how to build it. We had to come up with the design, the concept of how to construct the rotating bar,” says Archambault. Everything from its mechanical aspects to the sunken floor that exists below the turntable floor system had to be conceived from zero. “The birdcage horses were another aspect that were in the original design created by Davis Ink, but we presented a way to put them in motion, thereby adding to the theatrical experience that is enjoyed,” he says. To convince the clients of these movable mares, EB offered to build it out for them for free with zero costs if not approved. After it was approved, Archambault charged them $3,000 of the $4,500 it took to build it. When Wolfie’s opened in 2021, it became one of the only restaurants in the city whose bar top was the most coveted seat in the house for dinner. And those moving horses? They’re cemented in history—living on Reels, Boomerangs, and TikToks. Yet, although Equity Builders plays with the theatrics, its designs find the delicate balance between aesthetics and genuine functionality. While designing Better Buzz coffee shop in Hillcrest alongside Davis Ink, EB found
Before starting any project, Archambault and his team look at the space as a whole to ensure it functions well, and then the fun begins. “The more cohesiveness
throughout the venue, the more inviting it is to the dining patrons,” he says. “Then if we are able to sneak in a theatrical or kinetic art component into the design, even better. It gives everyone more to conversate about.” Which brings us to Wolfie’s—the 2,500-square-foot French bistro in Little Italy with its own 24-seat rotating carousel bar in the center. Illuminated by 400 lightbulbs, the carousel (which itself cost some $300K to build) is one of EB’s most ambitious ventures and a calling card of sorts, featured regularly on bar-porn Instagram accounts. Working alongside Davis Ink, the team spent several years ideating and researching how to design the carousel and engineer the bar stools to revolve around a stationary bar, without causing guests to get the spins.
74 FEBRUARY 2023
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