Designing the logo for this restaurant felt less like a client project and more like a hometown reunion. It was launched by four families I grew up with, true townies in the best sense. They transformed what had once been a Papa Gino’s, along with the neighboring space, into a sprawling, eclectic, rustic bar and restaurant layered with history and heart.
The name carried its own backstory. It nodded to the old train station that once stood nearby, a quiet tribute to the rhythm of the town’s past. It also tipped its hat to one of the owners, a firefighter, weaving in just a hint of grit and pride. And then there was the number eight: four married couples, eight partners, all stepping into this venture together. The logo had to hold all of that. No small task for one little graphic.
With eight owners came eight perspectives, and plenty of spirited debate. There were moments when it truly felt like too many cooks in the kitchen, each with thoughtful ideas and strong opinions about fonts, symbols, and colors. Draft after draft, we refined and rebalanced, sanding down edges and sharpening details. In the end, a final design emerged that everyone could stand behind, something that felt rooted and bold.
Once the brand was established, they entrusted me with designing their original menus as well as their first website, creating a cohesive visual experience from storefront to screen. While the restaurant has since changed hands, taken on a new name, and moved through several iterations online, I still have a screen grab of that original site, and those original menu designs. Those pieces now serve as a snapshot of the brand in its earliest form, preserving the identity we built together during that ambitious first chapter.
