Surely, those who have driven on lower Westheimer recently have taken note of the inviting and lushly landscaped patio being developed alongside the soon-to-open ChòpnBlọk restaurant — just in time for cooler temperatures to arrive. What’s more, the decor, books, vinyl records, and more at the West African restaurant are entirely shoppable. This truly artisan-curated space provides a refreshing reminder of what is possible when a group of creatives are allowed to freely collaborate, and the results speak for themselves.
“Inspired by the rich cultures of West Africa, the design pays homage to regional textiles, architecture, and traditional finishes. Elements such as call-and-response, improvisation, communal values, intricate art forms, and the deep interconnectedness of life — core to African cultural expression—are woven throughout, creating a dynamic and immersive environment,” ChòpnBlọk explains in a release.
Hardly a secret, the West African community in Houston is as thriving as it is close knit. To bring his new restaurant to life, chef-owner Ope Amosu enlisted other members of that community in the design process. With a design budget considerably more robust than that of the existing food hall location, Zainob Amao of AMAO Creative chose to partner with Gin Braverman of Gin Design Group to ensure that Amosu’s vision was perfectly realized.
“It has been a journey, I’ll say that,” Amao tells CultureMap. “When we did the first restaurant [at Post Houston], we didn’t have the resources, we didn’t have a design firm — it was just Ope and me. He’d asked me to do it because I’d curated his dinners in the past, and those were about building community.”
After receiving national acclaim for that first location — including an appearance on Top Chef and a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination — Amosu decided to open a 3,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar location in Montrose. “We had been exposed to Gin’s work at The Post and at a store that we liked. Her name kept popping up, so we knew we wanted to engage her because we liked her work so much before,” Amao says of their decision to bring in Braverman and her team.
After their initial consultation, Amosu, Amao, and Braverman knew it was a perfect fit. While AMAO Creative would be responsible for the creative vision, Gin Design Group would be there to execute their every whim. “They wanted as much cultural influence as possible. As many textures, layers, patterns, and artisans as possible,” says Braverman. “It really is a third-place, or community hub. It’s retail, it’s a venue, it’s a restaurant, it’s a gathering place. It really manifested from Ope’s vision.”
The team knew that they wanted to really concentrate on the architecture of the space, because, as Amao says: “When it comes to that [West African inspired architecture] you don’t see a lot of representation.”
Coming from an extensive background in textiles, Amao knew she wanted to start there, but that’s not always practical in a restaurant setting. A member of the Gin Design Group suggested replicating the traditional Aso Oke textile patterns with handmade zellige tiles for the bar wall, bar façade, and atop the custom community tables — it was a hit. “With the tile it was more about old world references and finishes that I wanted to use to complete the space,” says Amao.
The custom mud wall will perform double duty as an acoustical backdrop for musicians.Photo by StuffBenEats
Another focus of the design is the large, curved mud wall to the rear of ChòpnBlọk. “The mud wall is a ubiquitous structure in West African culture, so they wanted to bring in a component of that,” says Braverman. The mud wall will perform double duty as an acoustical backdrop for the occasional musical act, as well as existing for its aesthetic and cultural functions.
Photo by StuffBenEats
Layered patterns abound at ChòpnBlọk.
The mud wall, stencil work, and multitude of lime-washed surfaces were all the work of Clarissa Marx-Beaty of Republic Finishes, who Amao refers to as “A phenomenal human being and artist.”
Marx-Beaty hand-collected ingredients for all of her works from multiple locations and mixed them herself on-site. “Having so many conversations where we had so much in alignment, and she took it to another level. When I say she went there, I mean she went there,” says Amao.
Amao and Braverman knew they wanted authentic decor for the space, and no one made more sense to bring in than Anastasia Czarnik, owner of local decor store Root to Home. Impressively, all of the accessories and decor items can be shopped right off of the shelves and walls at ChòpnBlọk.
“I’ve been to Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Kenya — all different parts of Africa,” Czarnik says. “I’m so inspired by the handmade stuff. The craft is passed down through generations and traditions, everything is handmade. All the pieces here are West-African based. This is a restaurant celebrating West Africa, so we are celebrating the hands that create — whether it’s the food or anything else.”
The lush West African plantings were all hand chosen by The Flora Culture owner and Nigerian native Jemine Oakes, who was happy to bring in “color, prints, and joy — which is really the heart and soul of ChòpnBlọk,” says Oakes.
“We wanted things with greens and large leaves so that it feels very vibrant. We picked things that are hardy and also work well with the lighting — they have to function really well,” Oakes says. She chose West African native Sansevieria and Bird of Paradise plants, as well as ZZ and others.
Additional contributions to the space include wallpaper from artist Uzo Njoku’s collaboration with Otto Studio, as well as woven wooden pendants by Michele Varian. Book selections have been custom curated by local bookstore Kindred Stories and there are multiple prints and works of art showcased on the ChòpnBlọk art wall with the message: “Awa ni yen. Eyi ni ẹniti a jẹ,” which translates to: “This is us. This is who we are.”
In the spirit of community, Amao ends by adding: “For me, design is a spiritual process—where is this taking me? And I have to listen. I just let it guide me. It has been a phenomenal experience and we could not have done it without each other.”
