Oakland’s Jack London Square has been in need of a strong marketing push to bring new tenants into spaces that suffered during the COVID pandemic. I was hired to photograph several spaces, many in the hospitality field, like this restaurant, as part of a leasing and marketing effort focused on food-and-beverage operators. The space spans approximately 6,900 square feet and was designed to support high-volume service in a waterfront setting.
The layout includes all of the core amenities expected of a turnkey restaurant: a centrally located bar, three distinct dining areas, a full commercial kitchen, and generous walk-in storage. Rather than treating these features as a checklist, I approached the shoot by showing how the space flows—from front of house to back of house—and how each area connects to the next in a way that supports both guest experience and operational efficiency.
For this project, the emphasis was on scale, flexibility, and clarity. Through careful use of perspective and natural light, the images communicate how the space can be adapted to different restaurant concepts while still feeling cohesive and inviting. The goal was to give prospective tenants a realistic sense of proportion and possibility before ever stepping through the door.
Photographing restaurant interiors like this requires balancing technical accuracy with atmosphere. In a competitive leasing environment, strong visuals help a space stand out by clearly showing what’s already in place—and what’s possible next.
