Hospitality
Where Technology
How KNEKTD, Gardiner and Theobald, and Habitech collaborated to deliver a ground-breaking audiovisual experience in one of Edinburgh's most exciting new dining destinations.
When Duck and Waffle set out to bring its celebrated dining concept to the heart of Edinburgh, the ambition extended well beyond exceptional food. The vision was to create a fully immersive sensory experience, one where cutting-edge audio, dynamic lighting, and bespoke visual technology would transform a meal into a performance. To bring this vision to life, the team behind the project turned to KNEKTD, an AV integration firm with over 15 years of experience across super-prime residential and commercial hospitality, alongside project managers Gardiner and Theobald and trusted distribution partner Habitech.
Ceiling-mounted pendant speakers delivering rich, room-filling sound from within the lighting trusses.
Advanced audio matrix handling complex routing and seamless transitions from ambient to high-energy.
Custom cylindrical LED structures that react dynamically to live music and DJ software.
Enterprise-grade network backbone supporting CCTV, streaming audio, EPOS, and the AV installation.
The design concept for Duck and Waffle Edinburgh centres on the idea of performance. Declan Cashen, working within Gardiner and Theobald's hospitality-specific fit-out team, describes the brief in vivid terms: the restaurant was conceived so that the kitchen becomes a stage, with the head chef standing at its centre. Lighting trusses, hanging speakers, and carefully positioned AV elements all converge on this focal point, creating an atmosphere more akin to a live concert than a conventional restaurant.
The challenge was to deliver a system versatile enough to transition seamlessly from relaxed daytime dining to a high-energy evening atmosphere, complete with live DJ sets, all without compromising on audio fidelity or visual impact.
The restaurant was conceived so that the kitchen becomes a stage, with the head chef standing at its centre. Lighting trusses, hanging speakers, and carefully positioned AV elements all converge on this focal point.
Declan Cashen Gardiner and TheobaldKNEKTD worked closely with the Habitech team to select and specify the audio hardware. The Sonance Pro Series pendant speakers were chosen for their exceptional sound quality and their practical form factor. Mounted within the lighting trusses, they integrate discreetly into the restaurant's industrial aesthetic whilst delivering rich, room-filling audio.
Beneath the surface, the system reveals further layers of sophistication. Subwoofers are built directly into the booth seating, meaning guests enjoy deep, powerful bass without ever seeing the source. When a high-profile DJ from Ibiza performed at the venue's launch event, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. As KNEKTD's Senior Designer Struan Wardlaw noted, that level of endorsement from a professional DJ is a high bar to clear.
At the heart of the system sits the Yamaha Commercial MTX processor, handling the venue's complex audio routing and ensuring flawless transitions between ambient background music and full-volume evening entertainment.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the installation is KNEKTD's bespoke 360-degree LED video columns. These cylindrical structures, positioned to be visible from every seat in the restaurant, react dynamically to the music. Integrated with the DJ software, the columns pulse, glow, and shift colour in time with the beat, creating an electrifying visual experience that amplifies the atmosphere.
The wraparound design ensures that no matter where a guest is seated, the visual performance is always on display. It is a detail that speaks to the quality of the design and the level of coordination required between all parties involved.
Habitech's pre-sales support, product expertise, and hands-on approach to specification gave the integration team the confidence to push creative boundaries whilst knowing the underlying technology would perform flawlessly.
Shaun Wilson Director, KNEKTDWith CCTV, streaming audio, the EPOS system, and the bespoke AV installation all running across a single network, reliability was non-negotiable. KNEKTD specified Ruckus networking hardware to underpin the entire operation. The result is a robust, high-performance infrastructure that supports every element of the venue's technology without interruption, from the Wi-Fi serving hundreds of patrons to the real-time data feeding the LED columns.
Duck and Waffle Edinburgh stands as a testament to what is possible when visionary design, world-class products, and expert integration come together. From the hidden subwoofers beneath your seat to the mesmerising LED columns reacting to every beat, every detail has been considered to deliver something truly extraordinary.
It is precisely this kind of collaboration that defines the best commercial AV projects: a shared commitment to quality, clear communication, and the technical expertise to turn ambitious concepts into reality.
KNEKTD
AV integration and design
Gardiner and Theobald
Project management
Habitech
Distribution and pre-sales support