Operator Diner by We Are Humble

The brand behind Melbourne brunch spot Operator 25 have opened a second venue, Operator Diner, serving up classic American comfort food for the CBD breakfast and lunch crowds. Architects We Are Humble drew on the visual language of American roadside eateries to design an interior that’s both unique and sympathetic to the brand’s retro vibe.

We Are Humble director Kim Lai says the brief called for a place “people could come into and just feel comfortable,” which the studio approached with a nostalgic 1970s-inspired palette of warm colours and unfussy materials. Browns and oranges have been playfully applied floor-to-ceiling, with bright stripes overhead and earth-toned tiles underfoot. Timber-look laminates and vinyl booth seats further evoke the 70s nostalgia.

The studio blended this decade-specific palette with “the iconography of the diner,” Lai says. Objects in that visual language include the booth seats, which double as dividers defining the dine-in and take-away zones, and the open stainless steel kitchen and substantial surrounding bench. Above the counter, marquee-like lightboxes display the day’s specials.

We Are Humble united the 1970s and diner aesthetics – and brought in a contemporary twist – with a geometric theme. Low walls frame neat lines of seating; on the floor, contrasting tiles have been laid in a grid that continues up the walls all the way to the ceiling, unites these potentially contrasting elements into one purposeful message: here, you’ll be greeted with a hot coffee, a sandwich and a smile.