Restaurant Identity – Smokeys Brighton

Restaurant Identity – Smokeys Brighton

The Brief

Smokeys was an American-style ‘Brunch & BBQ’ restaurant on Brighton seafront, which opened in 2013. We were commissioned to come up with the restaurant identity, including the name, logo, signage and marketing materials.

The Restaurant Identity – Project Outcome

First, we developed a shortlist of names, which conjured up the image of a Texas BBQ restaurant crossed with a Californian brunch bar. The client went with our favourite choice: Smokeys.

The logo was derived from classic retro barbecue signage typical in Texas USA, with a touch of Californian ‘surf’. The colour palette and textures used reflect the hand-made locally sourced food.

We also created a brand image library by editing and collaging royalty-free images which tell the story of the food. Collage as an image-making process achieved two objectives: Firstly, it is a low-cost strategy for a restaurant that had a relatively small branding budget. Secondly, collage is a playful and irreverent way to make images, which fitted the casual, warm feel of the restaurant perfectly.

Our work covered everything from the design of their responsive website (built by Creative Impact) and printed promotional flyers to the interior design of the bar and the staff t-shirts.

The Client’s Response

‘New business, new brand, new website. Expertly designed and developed from back story to implementation’

Ed Pearce