Oakblue Kitchen

Branding, Naming, Messaging, Typeface, Web, Environmental, Illustration
2016

After selling his popular casual taco restaurants, John Ko set out to develop a new restaurant concept that offers a mix of traditional Southern and Korean barbecue, as well as craft cocktails, in downtown Greenville, South Carolina.

He approached me to create the brand and design an identity for this new venture – from name, to message and tone, to logo, collateral, and signage.

Oakblue Kitchen stencil logo
Running chicken illustration wearing a hat that says OK on it for Oakblue Kitchen
Custom font made for the restaurant and says We like to smoke our meats
Oaklbue Kitchen logo in red on a cream background
Animated drawing of a match flame and Oakblue Kitchen letters overprinted in red
Embroidered badge on a navy denim trucker hat

Core Message:

“Rooted in the South, Oakblue Kitchen serves up a diverse menu of high-quality smoked meats and comfort food that take cues from classic Southern fare and hospitality while also inspired by a family heritage of Korean cooking. The result is an inventive twist on familiar mainstays – a place that tastes like home, and something new, at the same time.”

Oakblue Kitchen brand guidelines

Custom Brand Font: “Oakblue Case”

The identity system features an original logotype that feels classically Southern with inspiration from stencil-like branding irons, as well as a custom-made font, Oakblue Case, created specifically for the restaurant (in which “Kitchen” is set for the logo, and is also used throughout the branding).

Oakblue Case custom font type specimen
Custom font designed for the barbecue restaurant

Illustration Assets

Hand-drawn illustrations personalize the branding and create vintage-inspired artwork for the space, and a warm color palette ties together all of the pieces. The finished result is not a stereotype of tired Southern visuals, but something that feels rustic and modern all at once.

Illustrated assets of a chicken, pig, cow, and hand holding a match
Custom branded restaurant business cards, matchboxes, hats, notecards, and beer koozies
The oakblue kitchen logo over a drawing of a hand with a lit match
Oakblue Kitchen business cards
Custom red restaurant match boxes

The custom typography, variations on the brand lockup, and illustration assets gave the brand opportunities to mix and match artwork to create unique applications while still feeling consistent.

A woman wears the red Oakblue Kitchen shirt that shows a pig wearing a baseball cap that reads OK
Denim and white trucker hats for restaurant employees
The secondary restaurant logo is printed on the shoulder blade on the back of the shirt
Red restaurant beer koozies
Laptop is opened to the homepage of the Oakblue website next to a beer in a branded koozie
Tablet and mobile friendly responsive restaurant web design

The restaurant's responsive website was a collaborative effort – designed by Russell Shaw and built by Geisler Young.

Custom website designed for a Korean Barbecue restaurant in Greenville
Matches scattered around the business card for Oakblue Kitchen
Cream and red restaurant business cards
Cut out stickers of Oakblue Kitchen's chicken
Custom notecard and restaurant match box
Restaurant thank you cards
Red beer koozie with restaurant logo on top of a drawing of a hand holding a lit match
Red Oakblue Kitchen shirt and beer koozie

“It was great working with Russell. He was responsive, timely, and professional. He gave us a set of good concepts to choose from. The survey and creative process let me give feedback on what I wanted, and he did a good job of taking all of that in and then creating our logo and brand.”

— John Ko,
Owner, Oakblue Kitchen

Restaurant employee holds up the Oakblue Kitchen menu

Credits

Client
Oakblue Kitchen

Owner
John Ko

Art Director, Designer, Illustrator and Typographer
Russell Shaw

Interior Designer
Sarah Trammell

Website Developer
Geisler Young (Special Thanks to Nolen Young)

Website Photography
Angela Cox

Chef
Kris McGowan

Production Partners
Moo (business cards), Sign Crafters USA (exterior signage and vinyl window signage, Special Thanks to Len Hall), Adam Schrimmer (Mural Artist), Lou Ellen Davis (Glass Artist).

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