Key takeaways:
- Cape Town, South Africa.
- Co-created with Mitchell Messina.
- Crafted the brand identity for CHEFS, leveraging the iconic blue masking tape as a central theme to symbolise the restaurant’s unique, chef-driven concept.
- Developed a vibrant visual and communication strategy, encapsulating the restaurant’s innovative approach to Fast Fine Dining.
- Produced all marketing materials and digital content, ensuring a cohesive brand experience across all customer touchpoints.
- My role concluded prior to CHEFS’ transition into a high-concept food hall, with my contributions laying the foundational brand identity and design strategy.
The CHEFS journey began with a conversation about Lucky Peach, the rebellious food magazine by celebrity chef David Chang. This mutual appreciation sparked an invitation from a friend to workshop and develop the brand for a new restaurant concept in Cape Town – one where qualified chefs would lead every aspect of the operation through clever use of tech and a no-nonsense approach to food.
With CHEFS, we introduced Fast Fine Dining to Cape Town, laying the groundwork for its eventual expansion into a tech-forward food hall. The concept centred around qualified chefs running not just the kitchen, but every facet of the restaurant, streamlined by technology.
The Branding
Inspired by the common practice of using handwritten labels in kitchen storage, the CHEFS logo was designed to reference this system of organisation. Head chef Jenny Ward’s preference for blue masking tape informed the colour palette, creating a simple yet striking visual identity that reflected the restaurant’s off-the-cuff approach to food and deep respect for kitchen professionalism.
Early sketches of CHEFS type treatments.
Initial exploration of chef’s tape logo direction.
Monotone version of the final CHEFS logo.
The final CHEFS logo.
Behind the scenes in the kitchen.
Concept illustrations.
Stickers and icons.
Point-of-sale detail.
The Journey
Despite its initial success, CHEFS faced tough challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Africa’s harsh lockdown laws and the subsequent economic crisis forced the restaurant to close its doors. However, the story didn’t end there.
Imagine my surprise when, years later, I turned the corner in a popular mall in Cape Town to find the logo plastered on the wall.
Years later, CHEFS underwent a redevelopment and relaunch as a food hall format, staying true to the original vision of a chef-centric, technology-enhanced dining experience. This new iteration, though short-lived, set a new trend in the culinary landscape and demonstrated the enduring appeal of the brand.
The new CHEFS experience.
The Lessons
The CHEFS journey, from its inception to its final curtain, offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of innovative dining concepts. While the food hall concept ultimately did not succeed, it highlighted the importance of human interaction in the dining experience and the careful timing of automation adoption.
Images of the CHEFS food hall at Cavendish square.
The project also underscored the lasting impact of thoughtful, concept-driven branding. Even though the venture itself didn’t go the distance, the CHEFS brand left an indelible mark on Cape Town’s culinary scene, paving the way for future innovations in the industry. The closest thing we’ve seen since then is the new TimeOut Market at the V&A Waterfront. So far a success, the three key differences lay in the weight and familiarity of the TimeOut brand, the high tourist turnaround of the V&A Waterfront, and the timeless, often underestimated virtues of a human approach.
Key takeaways:
- Cape Town, South Africa.
- Co-created with Mitchell Messina.
- Crafted the brand identity for CHEFS, leveraging the iconic blue masking tape as a central theme to symbolise the restaurant’s unique, chef-driven concept.
- Developed a vibrant visual and communication strategy, encapsulating the restaurant’s innovative approach to Fast Fine Dining.
- Produced all marketing materials and digital content, ensuring a cohesive brand experience across all customer touchpoints.
- My role concluded prior to CHEFS’ transition into a high-concept food hall, with my contributions laying the foundational brand identity and design strategy.