In the fall of 2019, Stephen relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey with his husband, providing the opportunity to expand the studio's presence in New York City.
Stephen holds a Bachelors Degree in Design Studies from the Boston Architectural College (Valedictorian) and a Professional Master of Architecture Degree from Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2013, Martyak was named one of Boston's Hottest Up and Comers by Zagat Boston in their "30 Under 30" list, the first designer to ever appear on the list nation wide.
Launched in the fall of 2012, by Stephen Martyak (the "y" is silent), the studio quickly made its presence known on the Boston stage with the opening of The Sinclair, a rock club/restaurant hybrid in Harvard Square by New York-based Bowery Presents, and Boston Chops, an urban steak bistro in city's South End.
Over the past decade, the studio brought several concepts to life including Loretta's Last Call, Boston's first country music bar, which was named one of the 21 Best Designed Restaurants in the Country in 2015 by Thrillist. The studio also assisted with initial conception and further development several concept into multi-unit roll-outs including: Dram and Draught, a whiskey bar concept expanding throughout North Carolina; Tradesman, a coffee bar and cocktail concept expanding in the Northeast; and El Jefe's, a multi-unit fast-casual taqueria in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Most recently, the studio opened two new live music venues with the Bowery Presents: Roadrunner, a 3,500 person capacity venue, in Boston and Racket, a 650 person capacity venue, across from Chelsea Market in Manhattan.
As a southern boy, music lover, and longtime foodie, Stephen Martyak is foremost a designer, formally trained as an Architect, with experience in high-end commercial and residential architecture and interiors, as well as lighting, furniture, and graphic design. He gained his early experience at Flavin Architects, a boutique residential firm in Boston and has collaborated with designers from Paris, New York, and Vancouver. It was later that Stephen discovered his knack for restaurant design and deepened his understanding of the intimate relationship between design and construction while acting as the Director of Design for a Boston-based construction company.