Tables covered in plastic tablecloths, uniform chairs, a salt shaker filled with grains of rice to keep the salt dry, pepper, and a napkin holder proudly bearing the words “Bon Appétit”. What characterizes the space of workers’ restaurants? What makes a restaurant a workers’ restaurant? And do places like these still exist today?

In an attempt to explore these questions and trace the design and architectural characteristics of workers’ restaurants, I set out on a journey between eateries across the country. Observing these spaces, in all their details, led to human encounters, stories of food, family, culture, and home.

The work presented here brings together an installation of collected objects from workers’ restaurants alongside a video piece focused on a single restaurant in Haifa. Through these materials, the work shifts between the everyday material culture of these spaces and an intimate human portrait, foregrounding the personal stories that exist within them.