Santamaria Tacos
The Santa Maria project was born from a simple yet ambitious idea: to create an authentic taco restaurant, much like one you might find in Mexico City, rather than falling into the usual clichés of a Mexican restaurant in Quebec.
As the first location in a planned series, the establishment on Wellington South Street in Sherbrooke posed a significant architectural challenge. The original space, barely 1,000 square feet, shared a façade with a neighboring business and lacked any real character. However, this raw shell was transformed into a vibrant venue thanks to the expertise of the project’s initiators: a well-known local restaurateur and a Mexican chef, both leading a diverse portfolio of businesses in the region.
The menu—traditional without being dogmatic—focuses on simple yet flawlessly executed dishes, complemented by a cocktail list crafted exclusively around mezcal. The atmosphere embraces a contemporary spirit with a playful nod to 1990s hip-hop culture, reinforced by walls adorned with canvases and quotes inspired by the urban scene.
To highlight this identity rooted in Mexican street food, and in collaboration with the design studio Caserne—responsible for Santa Maria’s branding—we opted for a bold use of raw yet refined materials. Douglas fir plywood from British Columbia, epoxy finishes, and steel coated in primary industrial red form a straightforward palette. This unpretentious approach is paired with subtle architectural details, occasionally evoking pre- and post-colonial South American references.
The lighting, primarily soft and diffused, can be transformed with red filters to shift the restaurant into bar mode, adding a nocturnal, immersive dimension to the space. Mirrors and exposed ceiling beams break the monotony of the compact layout, creating unexpected visual depth.
Santa Maria succeeds in blending cultural authenticity with modernity, all within a laid-back atmosphere that aligns seamlessly with the brand’s identity.
