www.yiasouyeeros.com
Challenge
The task was to create a look and feel for this fast-casual restaurant which would convey authenticity and tradition but make it relatable to current-day clientele while planning for future scalability in additional locations.
- Provide logo design which will introduce color scheme and design motifs.
- Consult on interior design space and décor
- Establish branding direction in color palette, fonts and general approach
- Provide marketing products, staff uniform and product packaging.
Key Insights
The name is a combination of one of the most recognized Greek words ‘yiasou’, meaning both hello and goodbye in Greek and ‘yeeros’ the phonetically correct pronunciation of ‘gyro’. The entire operation would stem from the restaurant’s signature product, the yeero. The restaurant, in staying with an authentic theme, procured a meat product which was antibiotic and hormone free without the usual preservatives and meat fillers found in the typical gyro cone. Their product consists of layers of carefully selected seasoned meat assembled and vertically rotisseried. The look and feel would need to be one which evoked traditional Greek imagery and the use of wood tones and the olive branch and a deliberate departure from the typical blue and white of most Greek establishments was the direction for a unique identity.
Solution
The process began by deciding on a logo in tones of green and orange with olive leaf design motifs. This would provide direction for every visual decision going forward. The natural tones of the palette and wood tones as well as aged photos used throughout a web presence, wall art and menus are all intended to imply a connection to tradition and ancestry and ultimately quality.
Rather than utilize found archival photos, we opted to shoot our own photos and set out to age them to fit the design. We relied on local cultural resources and borrowed authentic vintage costumes and dressed the owners and friends so that there was a real connection to the display of authenticity and not just imagery found and used for the sake of saying ‘traditional’. Our photos depict a feast like those celebrated decades ago by people working their land in a statement for the quality of the food being served.
The olive branch motif was used to brand custom-made tables. The ownership strove to find other authentic Greek products to complement the menu items such as a Greek manufactured canned mountain tea as well as a refillable imported olive oil and vinegar bottling station. Extending the brand, we developed custom labeling for the oil and vinegar bottles.
