In the future—and, increasingly, the present—you’re likely to seek out some of the most satisfying and thought-provoking dining experiences at your local museum. Seriously. Cultural institutions are increasingly concerning themselves with culinary matters—with the food they offer and venues through which they offer them. For The Henry Ford, this means staking out a true BHAG: to reimagine all of its onsite dining venues with a sustainable food future in mind. This goal ties to a larger vision: “To inspire people to choose fresh, seasonal food that is creatively prepared, locally grown, and sustainably focused.”

For most of the restaurants and cafes on the 250-acre Dearborn, Michigan campus, this will involve potentially extensive redesign. Not for Stand 44, The Henry Ford’s new café in Greenfield Village: The spacious new venue, which we helped to name and introduce from a messaging framework that extends from vision to tagline (“In season. From scratch. By chefs.)”, serves as a bellwether for what’s to come.

The naturally-lighted interior, inside a new building inspired by the industrial vernacular of Ford’s go-to architect Albert Kahn, is airy and bright. The graphics, designed by The Henry Ford’s in-house team, are fresh and welcoming. In-house and guest chefs alike collaborate on the smart, focused and continually changing menus. More to the point, The Henry Ford’s food people source as many ingredients as possible seasonally from within the institution’s regional foodshed. Taking sustainability full cycle, they have also installed a sophisticated composter to break down anything purchased inside the restaurant. Ultimately, this waylaid waste will enrich the soil in The Henry Ford’s history farms and gardens.

At Stand 44, eating is learning—with learning woven into the experience as a subtle seasoning, too.