As an international hub, Washington, D.C. has always been known for drawing a diverse and cosmopolitan population.
And that brings with it an always-on cultural scene, with über-trendy night spots and “eat and be seen” restaurants opening seemingly every week.
Shōtō is the newest addition to famed UK restauranteur Arjun Waney’s collective of brands including Zuma, a high-end Japanese fusion concept with 18 locations worldwide.
Based in D.C.’s new Midtown Center, once the home of the venerable Washington Post, Shōtō’s stunning interior was created by world-renowned designer Noriyoshi Murmatsu of Tokyo-based Studio Glit.
The ambience is a contemporary take on traditional Japanese casual, with tight, punchy audio provided by a compact but powerful DAS Audio sound system.
Audio in the main dining area is handled by 27 DAS Audio Quantum Series Q-23-T two-way full-range systems.
The Q-23-T’s compact look and short-throw design is exactly what the room called for, explained Managing Partner Arman Naqi.
“We wanted a system that would deliver full sound, very musical sound, but not overpower people’s conversations,” siad Naqi. “And we wanted it to look great, yet blend in seamlessly with the rest of the room’s décor.”
Twenty DECO-6-TB two-way in-ceiling speakers are distributed throughout to round out coverage, and eight Q-10 ultracompact 10-inch subwoofers are discreetly placed around the room.
The state-of-the-art system was designed and commissioned by John Fiorito, DAS Audio’s Hospitality and Nightclub National Sales Manager, and installed by 305AV with support from the DAS Audio applications engineering team.
Geovanni Ortiz, the lead applications engineer on the project, explained. “As always, when we received this design request via our website, we sat down with the integrator to determine the best solution for the venue.
“The Quantum series was an ideal choice, providing uniform coverage and consistent speech intelligibility across the room’s unique dimensions.”
Naqi observed: “Shōtō represents a high-end, global brand, and we chose DAS Audio because it’s also a high-end, high-quality brand.
“In Europe they are a highly respected market leader with a reputation for quality. Being a global company, we know their reputation. DAS Audio was a natural fit for Shōtō.”
“We have live DJs three nights a week, and our goal right from the start was to be THE best sounding restaurant in DC,” Naqi asserted. “We have truly accomplished that. There’s no bad seat in the restaurant. No matter where you’re sitting you get great sound and a great experience.”
