Roses and Berries Cafe

Commercial Build-Out | 3,850 SqFt

Dubuque, IA

Roses and Berries Café is a boutique bakery and café in Dubuque, Iowa, intentionally designed to blend French cuisine elegance and training with the Owners’ cultural, Syrian warmth in hospitality and food. Through thoughtful architectural finishes and design intent, cultural symbolism, and hospitality-focused planning, the space offers a refined, welcoming experience rooted in story, craftsmanship, and community.

The Opportunity

Located just off a main arterial for travel in Dubuque, Asbury Road, the café presented a unique opportunity to transform a modest tenant space into a vibrant regional culinary destination. Our friend, Yaman—a culinary artist trained in Paris and London—envisioned a space that would evoke the charm of a French café while honoring the warmth and hospitality of her Syrian heritage. Form Function Studio saw this as a chance to create a space celebrating cultural storytelling, elevated experiential dining, and crafting out a go to destination for visitors to the Dubuque area.

The Solution

Centered around three graceful arches, symbolizing unity, hospitality, and cultural significance, the blending of public experience, and restaurant function weaves through each arch. These architectural elements frame seating zones, craft out as visual anchors for the café, and become the central parti of the functional layout of the café.

The layout supports a variety of guest experiences, from quiet individual visits, an intentional coffee date and lively family gatherings, with communal tables, cozy two-tops, and lounge seating arranged to foster conversation, comfort, and an elevated dining experience.

The material and color palette, a light airy ambiance; draws from Middle Eastern influences and blends the whimsical café experiences of Europe, specifically within old world cafes of London, England, and Paris, France. The added darker accent colors and textures add timeless elegance and depth to the space. Roses, a connection to Yaman’s family and their favorite flower and a symbol of peace, are woven through the design within the artwork, textures, and floral arrangements.

The organic, delicately designed, fixtures, furnishings, and finishes were selected to enhance the culinary experience and reflect the café’s mission of using food as art, to bring people, of all cultures, together.

The Impact

Roses and Berries Café exemplify how boutique hospitality design creates a meaningful experience, inviting connections, celebrating diverse cultures, and welcoming community. The architecture, a quiet canvas for the vibrant, beautifully plated French pastries and Syrian-inspired dishes that quite literally give an experience to the human spirit that everyone deserves to have. The functional layout ensures intuitive movement for both guest and staff alike, while materials were chosen for a unique aesthetic appeal and durability in a high-traffic environment.

By transforming the modest commercial space into a warm, design-forward café, the project supports small business entrepreneurship, contributes to the cultural richness and history of Dubuque, and has become a regional destination that has thrived through word of mouth exuberance that has fueled a following for people to come and experience Yaman’s hospitality and love for people through her delicately crafted drinks, pastries, and meals. Roses and Berries Café stands as a testament to how thoughtful design can elevate everyday moments and bring personal stories to life.