Sara's Kitchen
Sara's Kitchen
Branding, Logo Design, Business Consulting
Branding, Logo Design, Business Consulting
Price:
Price:
$5,000 USD
$5,000 USD
Price:
$5,000 USD
Turnaround:
Turnaround:
1 Month
1 Month
Turnaround:
1 Month
Role:
Role:
Freelance Designer
Freelance Designer
Role:
Freelance Designer
Engagement:
Engagement:
One Project
One Project
Engagement:
One Project
Project Outcomes & Highlights:
Project Outcomes & Highlights:
Restaurant Launch
Brick & mortar location launched in 2024 with branding
Restaurant Launch
Brick & mortar location launched in 2024 with branding
Authentic Egyptian
First authentic egyptian resturant opened in Saratoga Spings Area (Upstate NY)
Authentic Egyptian
First authentic egyptian resturant opened in Saratoga Spings Area (Upstate NY)
Top Ranked
Sara's Kitchen is now a top ranked resturant in the Capital Region Area (Upstate, NY)
Top Ranked
Sara's Kitchen is now a top ranked resturant in the Capital Region Area (Upstate, NY)
Sara's Kitchen
Sara approached me when her Middle Eastern food business was rapidly outgrowing the farmer's market circuit. Originally from Egypt, she had been working as an engineer for the past decade but decided to pursue her passion for authentic Egyptian cooking full-time.
The lack of genuine Middle Eastern food in upstate New York's Capital Region sparked her entrepreneurial journey, and she was ready to open a storefront on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
The challenge was clear: Sara needed professional branding and a logo to establish her business as she transitioned from farmer's markets to a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
She wanted the branding to authentically reflect her Egyptian heritage and the love behind her cooking, without falling into the clichéd or stereotypical visual language that many Middle Eastern restaurants rely on.
This project became about creating a sophisticated brand identity that honored her culture while appealing to the Saratoga Springs market.
Challenge:
Sara needed to establish credible brand presence to successfully transition from farmer's markets to a permanent restaurant location. Her authentic Egyptian cuisine deserved professional branding that would communicate quality and heritage without relying on overused Middle Eastern visual stereotypes.
Solution:
We developed a sophisticated brand identity combining modern minimalism with subtle cultural elements. Through extensive exploration and client collaboration, we created a wordmark and visual system that authentically represented Sara's Egyptian heritage while appealing to the upscale Saratoga Springs market.
Services:
• Branding Design
• Logo Design
• Business Consulting
Role + Team:
One-on-one project
Key Phases:
• Brand Discovery | Review Business Plan
• Logo Concepts
• Branding Kit
• Brand Launch
Sara's Kitchen
Sara approached me when her Middle Eastern food business was rapidly outgrowing the farmer's market circuit. Originally from Egypt, she had been working as an engineer for the past decade but decided to pursue her passion for authentic Egyptian cooking full-time.
The lack of genuine Middle Eastern food in upstate New York's Capital Region sparked her entrepreneurial journey, and she was ready to open a storefront on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
The challenge was clear: Sara needed professional branding and a logo to establish her business as she transitioned from farmer's markets to a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
She wanted the branding to authentically reflect her Egyptian heritage and the love behind her cooking, without falling into the clichéd or stereotypical visual language that many Middle Eastern restaurants rely on.
This project became about creating a sophisticated brand identity that honored her culture while appealing to the Saratoga Springs market.
Challenge:
Sara needed to establish credible brand presence to successfully transition from farmer's markets to a permanent restaurant location. Her authentic Egyptian cuisine deserved professional branding that would communicate quality and heritage without relying on overused Middle Eastern visual stereotypes.
Solution:
We developed a sophisticated brand identity combining modern minimalism with subtle cultural elements. Through extensive exploration and client collaboration, we created a wordmark and visual system that authentically represented Sara's Egyptian heritage while appealing to the upscale Saratoga Springs market.
Services:
• Branding Design
• Logo Design
• Business Consulting
Role + Team:
One-on-one project
Key Phases:
• Brand Discovery | Review Business Plan
• Logo Concepts
• Branding Kit
• Brand Launch
One Branding Project
"Nik took the time to really understand my story and culture, creating a brand that feels authentically me. His patience through several revisions and expertise in both design and business strategy made all the difference. Sarah's Kitchen wouldn't be where it is today without their guidance."
Sara Ali
Sara Ali
Owner, Sara's Kitchen
Logo Exploration
The exploration phase involved creating over 30 different logo concepts as we searched for the right visual direction.
We started with mood boards featuring imagery from Sara's Egyptian background, exploring everything from historic calligraphy to modern interpretations of Middle Eastern design elements.
The initial concepts ranged from traditional styles incorporating 18th-century Egyptian calligraphy to more contemporary approaches, each testing different ways to authentically represent her heritage without relying on overused visual clichés.
Process
My design process began with Pinterest research and mood boarding, followed by a detailed client intake form where Sara identified her preferred typefaces, colors, and specific elements she wanted incorporated.
The first round of designs explored traditional Egyptian aesthetics, but we quickly realized they felt too busy and risked looking kitschy. While I typically include only three revision rounds, Sara's thoughtful feedback led us through six rounds of refinements.
The final three rounds focused on subtle adjustments like text weight and color refinements, ensuring every detail felt intentional and polished.
The key changes maintain consistency with the client's name while improving readability and professional tone. The content now flows better and eliminates the grammatical issues present in the original.
Logo Exploration
The exploration phase involved creating over 30 different logo concepts as we searched for the right visual direction.
We started with mood boards featuring imagery from Sara's Egyptian background, exploring everything from historic calligraphy to modern interpretations of Middle Eastern design elements.
The initial concepts ranged from traditional styles incorporating 18th-century Egyptian calligraphy to more contemporary approaches, each testing different ways to authentically represent her heritage without relying on overused visual clichés.
Process
My design process began with Pinterest research and mood boarding, followed by a detailed client intake form where Sara identified her preferred typefaces, colors, and specific elements she wanted incorporated.
The first round of designs explored traditional Egyptian aesthetics, but we quickly realized they felt too busy and risked looking kitschy. While I typically include only three revision rounds, Sara's thoughtful feedback led us through six rounds of refinements.
The final three rounds focused on subtle adjustments like text weight and color refinements, ensuring every detail felt intentional and polished.
The key changes maintain consistency with the client's name while improving readability and professional tone. The content now flows better and eliminates the grammatical issues present in the original.
Final Logo Kit
The final wordmark embraced a modern, minimal, and feminine aesthetic featuring a sophisticated hand-drawn font created in Procreate and vectorized in Adobe Illustrator.
We settled on a refined color palette of navy blues, sandstone, and tan earthy tones that Sara described as representing "the desert and the sea" from where she grew up in Egypt.
Minimal Arabic calligraphy elements were carefully integrated into the design, and we added the tagline "A Taste of the Middle East" to clearly communicate the restaurant's authentic offering.
Branding
Beyond the logo design, I provided comprehensive business consulting to help Sara understand how branding works and how to implement it across her entire business.
We discussed marketing strategies, menu design, interior design integration, and scaling her business effectively. The branding education became crucial as Sara learned to apply the visual identity consistently across all touchpoints.
From storefront signage to social media presence, we ensured her authentic Egyptian heritage translated into every aspect of the customer experience.
Final Logo Kit
The final wordmark embraced a modern, minimal, and feminine aesthetic featuring a sophisticated hand-drawn font created in Procreate and vectorized in Adobe Illustrator.
We settled on a refined color palette of navy blues, sandstone, and tan earthy tones that Sara described as representing "the desert and the sea" from where she grew up in Egypt.
Minimal Arabic calligraphy elements were carefully integrated into the design, and we added the tagline "A Taste of the Middle East" to clearly communicate the restaurant's authentic offering.
Branding
Beyond the logo design, I provided comprehensive business consulting to help Sara understand how branding works and how to implement it across her entire business.
We discussed marketing strategies, menu design, interior design integration, and scaling her business effectively. The branding education became crucial as Sara learned to apply the visual identity consistently across all touchpoints.
From storefront signage to social media presence, we ensured her authentic Egyptian heritage translated into every aspect of the customer experience.
Solution:
The final deliverables included a complete logo suite with multiple variations for different applications and a comprehensive branding kit covering marketing materials, menu design, and storefront implementation.
Beyond the visual identity, I provided strategic business consulting covering marketing launch strategies, PR approaches for gaining local media attention, and interior design guidance to create an authentic yet welcoming atmosphere.
Sara's business had perfect market positioning as the only authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in the Capital Region, giving her a unique competitive advantage in an underserved market that was hungry for genuine Egyptian cuisine.
Reflections:
Cultural authenticity requires careful balance - The biggest design challenge was honoring Sara's Egyptian heritage without falling into visual stereotypes that would cheapen her authentic story and food quality.
Client education amplifies project success - Taking time to teach Sara about branding principles and implementation strategies was just as valuable as the design work itself, ensuring she could maintain brand consistency as her business scaled.
Market positioning drives design decisions - Understanding Sara's unique position as the only authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in the area helped inform design choices that emphasized quality and authenticity over trendy aesthetics.
Patience with revisions pays off - While six rounds of revisions exceeded my usual three-round limit, Sara's thoughtful feedback and attention to detail resulted in a final logo that truly captured her vision and story.
Solution:
The final deliverables included a complete logo suite with multiple variations for different applications and a comprehensive branding kit covering marketing materials, menu design, and storefront implementation.
Beyond the visual identity, I provided strategic business consulting covering marketing launch strategies, PR approaches for gaining local media attention, and interior design guidance to create an authentic yet welcoming atmosphere.
Sara's business had perfect market positioning as the only authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in the Capital Region, giving her a unique competitive advantage in an underserved market that was hungry for genuine Egyptian cuisine.
Reflections:
Cultural authenticity requires careful balance - The biggest design challenge was honoring Sara's Egyptian heritage without falling into visual stereotypes that would cheapen her authentic story and food quality.
Client education amplifies project success - Taking time to teach Sara about branding principles and implementation strategies was just as valuable as the design work itself, ensuring she could maintain brand consistency as her business scaled.
Market positioning drives design decisions - Understanding Sara's unique position as the only authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in the area helped inform design choices that emphasized quality and authenticity over trendy aesthetics.
Patience with revisions pays off - While six rounds of revisions exceeded my usual three-round limit, Sara's thoughtful feedback and attention to detail resulted in a final logo that truly captured her vision and story.
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