Derek Sanders

Background

About Derek Sanders

Derek Sanders - designer, stylemaker, and foodie - has spent years culminating a fierce presence that spans industries. He uses his keen sense of what’s going on in the market at any given moment to create successful ventures in the realms of architecture, design, and the restaurant/nightlife industry. As an architectural designer, Derek has designed and developed buildings all over downtown Manhattan, many of which have received mention in major publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, Domino, Elle Decoration, and many others. He also owned and operated his own design firm for fifteen years. As designer, Derek has collaborated on such successful venues as Joe’s Pub, Lure Fish Bar, The Lever Restaurant, the Mercer Hotel, and the Standard Hotel in Los Angeles. Derek is perhaps best known for his partnership in La Esquina, the super trendy restaurant in SoHo, NYC, and Café de la Esquina, its new Williamsburg, Brooklyn outpost. Derek has been an integral part of making the restaurants what they are today, acting as both a behind-the-scenes design director, creator, in a sense, of the big picture of both restaurants, and as a very hands-on operator of the everyday management of the restaurant. Most recently, Derek has turned his focus to expanding his influence in the food industry with the creation of La Esquina food products, a collection of salsas and dips rooted in the unique New York restaurant experience, but available in the home.