William Besson Interior Design Is Working for This Guy?

http://www.williambeson.com/flash.html

I hope they are getting paid as they go!

He has the location (the former LoTo in Lowertown) and the theme (American comfort food).

Now, David Fhima has come up with a name for his new restaurant. His return to the St. Paul dining scene will be called Faces.

"At the end of the day, this restaurant is about people," says Fhima, "people from all walks of life and people who like wine and don't like wine."

Okaaay, I think we get the idea.

Last month, Fhima announced plans to take over LoTo, the spot he sold four years go to Life Time Fitness. The new venture will be in partnership with Life Time Fitness in the beginning, but Fhima's goal is to run it solo with help from his family. The space inside Cray (formerly Galtier) Plaza is closed for renovations.

The open, Zen-like feel of the room will stay the same, but Fhima is working with local interior designer Billy Beson to warm up the space and give it an earthy feel. They are shooting for a June 1 debut.

Fhima was once the Twin Cities' most-talked-about restaurateur. St. Paul spent $700,000 to lure him from Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul. But after a brief heyday, he closed three restaurants in three years and sold LoTo.

He eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and signed on as the Life Time Fitness executive chef.