
Javier Bardauil is an entertainer at heart. “I love to perform,” says the native of Buenos Aires, who is also the chef and owner of Barda, a James Beard Award finalist for best new restaurant. His latest performance, however, is set to take place at his soon-to-open choripanería, Puma — a casual restaurant in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood that serves South American street food in a space that’s reflective of Bardauil’s visionary spirit.
Conceptualized by Bardauil, designed by architect Ishtiaq Rafiuddin of the Detroit-based architectural design studio Undecorated, and managed by real estate developer and owner of the Core City property management company Prince Concepts, Philip Kafka, Puma is a highly collaborative project.
When Prince Concepts purchased the 5,000-square-foot abandoned building in 2015, it was used for storage. But Kafka had an idea to reactivate the structure, subdividing it into three commercial spaces. “We knew Puma would be one of the tenants, so we designed the space for them,” Rafiuddin says. The other tenants are Matéria Gallery and EDITION, a pop-up retail establishment presenting contemporary art.

Stationed at the corner of 16th Street and West Hancock Street, the restaurant is outfitted with sliding windows and doors that help bring the outside in. A walk-up window offers guests the chance to dine alfresco on its newly added parklet or even across the street at Core City Park. “The surrounding landscape serves as a doorstep and invites the community in. The decisions we made all reflect the bigger idea of connecting Puma to the exterior environment,” Rafiuddin explains.
Previously a service garage and car wash, the block-style building Puma occupies is ubiquitous around Detroit. “There used to be a service garage like this on almost every block,” Rafiuddin says.
Wanting to celebrate the structure’s existing conditions while honoring its past, the trio chose to leave much of the original building intact. There’s a great deal of sameness in new construction. In contrast, Puma is authentic and sustainable. “The building has a history of living out many lives, so we wanted to embrace the incoherency of the space,” Rafiuddin says.

Kafka adds, “Simone DeSousa, who runs Matéria, is from Brazil and Javier is from Argentina, so we wanted to take inspiration from Latin America, where brick is often used, and showcase the 100-plus-year-old brickwork on this building.”
The interior walls were repaired, left bare, and painted in an all-black palette. “It’s simple, elegant, and a nice contrast to the highly textured building materials,” Rafiuddin says. To add to the interior’s aesthetic, oversized speakers sport a highlight of the signature neon hue seen on the exterior. Late at night, when Puma’s kitchen closes, the bar transforms into Cougar. “I wanted a space that’s flexible and fluid,” Bardauil notes. Adding to the electric energy is a sound system designed by Detroit-based BING Audio and art by Detroit-based lighting artist Patrick Ethan.
On the exterior, updates include large-format aluminum windows that sport a fluorescent reddish-orange, oven-baked paint — a process that helps preserve the color. “It’s a symbol of life returning to the once-abandoned building,” Rafiuddin says. He adds that it also represents the fire used to cook choripán, Puma’s signature dish — a simple sandwich consisting of sausage (chorizo) and bread (pan).

Rafiuddin’s goal was to deliver something that made sense within both the space and the larger concept. Bardauil made three fundamental design requests: a charcoal grill to cook choripán, a ceviche bar, and a beverage bar. Each request resulted in a unique spatial element. Depending on where guests sit within the restaurant, they can watch their meal come to life. “It’s a form of performance that creates choreography with a sense of place, purpose, and identity,” Rafiuddin says.
Decisions surrounding Puma’s spatial design are layered. “For instance, if we made an opening to add natural light, it was also designed for service purposes, and to create a view,” he adds. “Any opportunity to give the space more ability, we needed to take it.”
For Rafiuddin, architecture is the entire experience.“Everything works in concert.”
Destiny may have chosen Core City as Bardauil’s new home, but with the help of Rafiuddin, Kafka, and the local community, the chef’s dream performance is becoming reality.
More Information: pumadetroit.com/
Text by Christine Hildebrand. Cover photo by Nate Sturley. All other photography by Gerard + Belevender.
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