Rockwell Group, New York

Sheet Metal Contractor: Royal Metal Works Inc., Las Vegas

Diners cannot stop buzzing about Bobby Flay’s Las Vegas Mesa Grill. Not only is the cuisine distinctive, but so is the decor thanks to SMACNA member Royal Metal Works Inc.

The restaurant’s color palette, characterized by its interesting architectural elements and vivid colors, is full of bright greens, blues, reds and yellows that radiates high-energy. “Our goal with Mesa Grill has always been to create an atmosphere of what I call serious fun. Behind the exciting, playful food, there is a strong vision of American cuisine,” says Chef Bobby Flay.

The Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is Bobby Flay’s first restaurant to open outside of New York City. The 9,000-square-foot space is dominated by a 20-foot rotisserie with a grill and quesadilla oven.

Royal Metal Works Inc., of Las Vegas, was the sheet metal contractor who was hired to supply, fabricate and install all of the food service equipment as well as refrigeration and the architectural metals for the bar tops and copper cladding.

For all of the food service equipment a 304 stainless steel with a #4 finish was used. The 24 oz. copper cladding of the spectacular hoods were hammered with an antique finish and then clear powder coated before being certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). The custom fabricated bar tops were made with .093 copper that was flamed and NSF clear powder coated.

Since the exhibition grill station was designed in a tea cup shape, it required custom fabricating. All of the copper was hammered and flamed in house. In addition, Royal Metal Works also custom-built a vertical rotisserie on the mezzanine level of the restaurant.

There were several aspects of this high profile project that made it unique and challenging. Two weeks prior to the restaurant opening, the original design was altered due to mechanical changes. These changes did not allow for the original hood design. Another obstacle that Royal Metal Works had to overcome was that the copper hood enclosure was damaged on route to the job and had to be repaired onsite moments before the restaurant’s grand opening gala.

This $700,000 project was filmed for the Food Network from March through its completion in September of 2004. The footage taken during the project was aired on a special on the Food Network called “Bobby’s Vegas Gamble.”