What Macaulay Sinclair does

Macaulay Sinclair is a UK-based interior architecture and design firm founded in 2003, headquartered at 2 Commerce Square in Nottingham's Lace Market. The firm specializes exclusively in hospitality interiors — restaurants, bars, cafés, food halls, and social dining venues — serving both established restaurant groups and ambitious hospitality start-ups. Its core methodology is research-driven, combining brand-story development with specialist expertise in heritage and listed building adaptation (Grade I, II, and II* structures).

The firm delivers end-to-end interior architecture services from concept through completion, with a project-based professional services revenue model and per-engagement pricing that is not publicly disclosed. It operates a sales-led go-to-market relying on portfolio reputation, direct business development, and referrals rather than paid acquisition. Marketing is concentrated on the company's own website, which functions as a case-study portfolio and thought-leadership blog.

Macaulay Sinclair's client roster is anchored by marquee UK hospitality brands including Hawksmoor (14+ collaborations), Dishoom (10+ locations), Flat Iron, and Permit Room, alongside flagship single-venue projects such as BOXHALL City and Arcade Food Theatre. While the firm is registered as operating in the UK, it has executed projects internationally in Dublin, Chicago, and New York, primarily through anchor-client rollouts. The firm employs 11–50 people and operates as a privately held boutique studio with no disclosed funding, acquisitions, or institutional investors.

Name

Macaulay Sinclair

Legal name

Macaulay Sinclair

Website

https://macaulaysinclair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Macaulay Sinclair is a UK-based interior architecture and design firm founded in 2003 that specializes exclusively in hospitality interiors for established restaurant groups and start-ups. The boutique Nottingham-headquartered studio delivers project-based design services for restaurants, bars, and social dining venues across the UK, Ireland, and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hospitality & Entertainment Venue Construction (IMAFACAC)

Keywords

• Hospitality interior design
• Interior architecture services
• Restaurant design
• Bar and venue design
• Heritage building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Interior Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue derived from interior architecture and design engagements for hospitality clients including restaurants, bars, and social venues. Projects range from complete refurbishments to new build concepts, with long-term client relationships evidenced by multiple repeat engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Macaulay Sinclair delivers interior architecture and design services for the hospitality sector, creating distinctive spaces for restaurants, bars, cafes, and social dining venues. The firm works with both established hospitality brands (such as Hawksmoor, Dishoom, and Flat Iron) and ambitious start-ups, delivering projects ranging from new builds and refurbishments to heritage building adaptations across the UK and international markets including Dublin, Chicago, and New York.

Product overview

Macaulay Sinclair operates as a single, unified service offering: interior architecture and design services for the hospitality sector. The company works with established hospitality brands and start-ups, delivering design projects across restaurants, bars, cafes, and social dining venues. Their portfolio includes work with brands such as Hawksmoor, Dishoom, Flat Iron, Permit Room, BOXHALL, KERB Social Club, BAO London, Caravan, Shan Shui Social, and others. The firm does not offer modular software products but rather provides comprehensive interior design services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Architecture and Design Services

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global design firm with a dedicated hospitality practice serving hotels, restaurants, and food and beverage operators. Much larger than Macaulay Sinclair and competes primarily on enterprise-scale hospitality programmes where global delivery matters.
• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design and architecture studio working across public realm, hospitality, and cultural projects. Operates at a larger scale than Macaulay Sinclair but overlaps in high-profile hospitality and adaptive-reuse commissions.
• Foster + Partners: Global architecture and design practice with hospitality and mixed-use developments (hotels, resorts, restaurants) as a meaningful portfolio segment. Much larger than Macaulay Sinclair but competes for flagship hospitality mandates, particularly on new-build and mixed-use sites.

Direct peers

• Roman and Williams: New York-based architecture and interior design studio renowned for high-end hospitality and restaurant projects (e.g., The Standard, Le Coucou). Comparable to Macaulay Sinclair in delivering distinctive, brand-led hospitality interiors for premium operators.
• Design Research Studio: London-based design studio founded by Tom Dixon, working at the intersection of interior architecture, hospitality, and product design. Comparable to Macaulay Sinclair in its hospitality focus and brand-led design methodology.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto and New York-based design firm with a substantial hospitality interior portfolio (e.g., Edition Hotels, Park Hyatt). Competes with Macaulay Sinclair for premium hospitality interior design mandates globally.
• David Collins Studio: London-based luxury interior design studio with a strong portfolio in restaurants, bars, and hotels (e.g., The Wolseley, Brasserie Zédel). Closest UK-based direct competitor to Macaulay Sinclair's hospitality-focused, premium-positioned practice.
• AvroKO: New York-based design firm with deep specialisation in hospitality interiors (restaurants, bars, hotels) globally. Direct competitor to Macaulay Sinclair for premium hospitality brand mandates, with comparable methodology around brand-driven, narrative-rich interior design.
• Jestico + Whiles: London-based architecture and interior design practice with a strong hospitality and hotel portfolio across the UK and Europe. Direct UK competitor for hospitality interior design commissions at a comparable firm scale.
• Michaelis Boyd: London-based architecture and interior design practice with notable hospitality projects including The Hoxton hotels and restaurants. Direct UK competitor for hospitality interior design mandates with comparable brand-led approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/macsinc_design
• Facebookfacebook.com/macaulaysinclair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Macaulay Sinclair