More importantly. he was determined to make "Ole Ole Restaurant and Grille" a casual yet trendy nightspot with great food, a fun atmosphere and excellent services. One of the elements of a fun atmosphere was the right artwork. It would need to complement the stand-out jewel tones and bright décor that were emerging as strong components of the new spot's personality.

Canto's ears immediately perked up upon hearing that the chamber member was a contemporary artist whose studio was only a few doors down.

"Shortly after that he came over to my studio to look at my work," explains Hoffmann. "We decided that the paintings and his concept of the restaurant would work well together."

An exhibit takes shape

The two then chose the paintings they wanted to show, and consulted on the locations and groupings that would work best for the way the restaurant operated. Hoffmann ended up hanging most of the paintings himself since they were working on old masonry walls. Each mount needed to be tested to verify that it could support the weight of the pieces.

Ole´ Ole´ opened up on schedule in January 2000 with a complete gallery of artwork that patrons have been admiring ever since.

While Hoffmann's paintings can by no means be characterized in a similar manner as the restaurant, "modern Mexican with a Spanish flair," it all works quite well.

Too well, actually.

Too much of a good thing

"Customer response to the paintings has been very good," said the artist. "The one problem is that the paintings work so well with the space that it blends together. People forget that the paintings are for sale."

Certainly that's a drawback but it's a complement as well.

"I appreciate that people feel my art 'belongs' to the space," reveals Hoffmann. "It gives credence to the versatility of my work, and I'm justifiably proud of that."

All artwork on exhibit at Ole´ Ole´ is available for sale through our Online Gallery. You can physically view Richard Hoffmann's exhibit at Ole´ Ole´ Tuesday through Sundays; check the restaurant's website for hours and directions.

If you are a restaurant or retail establishment owner and are interested in a similar alliance, please check out the Alliance section of our site.