The Office is a locally owned and operated bar and grill in Cheyenne, WY. Owners, Susie and Doug Stults inquired with me about brand design while their new business location was still under construction. They wanted a simple and unique brand for their new business venture. Something that would stand out as a unique logo mark and that could easily be printed on t-shirts, bar glasses, and more. It was also important to them to not have any reference to the TV series, The Office, but instead a play on words for an actual office setting so folks could reference being “at the office,” similar to how college students refer to being “at the library,” at The Library Sports Grille & Brewery in Laramie, WY.
The Brand
The vibe of this new restaurant was to be a casual, yet upscale dining experience with welcoming interior finishes and a state-of-the-art kitchen. It was important to consider not only the name of the restaurant but the overall feel of how their brand would be presented from logo to menus, to signage, to website — creating a vibe for this new restaurant. A place where you would meet colleagues for lunch, a place where you would meet friends for a drink after work, a place where you would watch your favorite sporting event year-round.
After thorough research and sketches, I created a paper clip icon in the shape of a beer glass. The icon was paired with a typewriter-like font that was bold and easy to read.
The Menu Design
Susie wanted menus that could be printed on craft paper. With this idea in mind, I knew that they would be printed in all-black ink and, therefore needed to include a strong hierarchy of fonts since there would not be multiple colors incorporated into the design. This helped me in selecting brand fonts that would compliment the menu design — a bold, easy-to-read script font, paired with a slab serif that had multiple weights.
I also worked with Susie and her team to come up with names for the dishes on the menu. Since the name of the restaurant was “The” Office, I wanted to play on the theme of having every dish on the menu begin with “the.” When folks are ordering, they often say “the” anyway, “I’ll have the cheeseburger.” So it was a minor detail that helped enhance the brand recognition and consistency of the menu design.
The Website
Along with the brand and menu, Susie knew she would need a website to help promote her new restaurant. We originally started small with a very basic website, knowing that we could add on pages as the business grew with the additional planned phases — an event space and cigar lounge.
Considering it was a beautiful new space, I knew that we needed to have professional photography to showcase on the website and social media. I coordinated with a local photographer to set up an interior shoot. He captured photos of the hostess stand, the dining room, the bar, and the golf simulator room.
While the restaurant did not intend to take reservations, we incorporated a widget from Yelp that allowed guests to join a waitlist ahead of time. The site also contained the dinner menu, drink menu, and information about the new business, along with the golf simulator.
Once the new phases were completed, we added additional pages and functionality to the website about the cigar lounge and booking the event spaces. I coordinated with Janelle from Janelle Rose Photography to capture these spaces as well.
Note: The Office’s website was originally designed and launched by North Design Co., but they have since moved over to the PopMenu platform after a generous vendor donation during COVID-19 closures in 2020. Many of the design elements from our original design were copied over to the new website, but we are no longer associated with the website.
Today, the logomark for The Office is widely recognized throughout Cheyenne and Southeast WY. The restaurant is flourishing. I am thankful to have played a part in their branding and helped them get started with their marketing. While I no longer design their menus, execute their marketing, or maintain their website, it is still a restaurant that I frequent and I’m proud of all that they have accomplished!
Looking for Brand or Website Design?
At North Design Co. we offer strategic brand and web design services for ambitious business owners. We are based in Cheyenne, WY, however serve clients nationwide. Reach out to us today!
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