Fred’s Southern Kitchen is a restaurant in Lakeland, Florida started by the Johnson family in 1954. The restaurant branding project all began with a gas station where Evelyn Johnson would cook meals for her family and friends. Soon, enough people were stopping by for her hospitality and Southern food that the gas station was converted to the first Johnson’s Restaurant.

Taking those traditions to heart, Fred and Tammy Johnson opened the first Fred’s Market Restaurant at the State Farmer’s Market. Today, the next generation is still making slow cooked food served fast.

When Fred’s Market Restaurant first contacted us, they were looking to open a new location that appealed to a younger demographic with a warm and welcoming environment.

They hoped the new brand would highlight how fresh their ingredients are in addition to the history of the restaurant.

Brand Boards

To get this branding train on the tracks, we geared up with three distinct brand boards that we believed would bring their goals to life. We presented our three ideas and let our clients pick their favorite one. With that decision solidified, we took this new clear direction and started constructing the brand.

Brand Discovery and Slogan

Next, we started on hours of brainstorming to get to the heart of the Fred’s brand. Through pages of notes and countless Red Bulls, we worked out a mission statement that would function as a slogan for the brand: “farm-to-plate freshness.”

Restaurant Branding Graphic Design

With the slogan set and the brand look determined in the brand board, we were ready to start designing. Fred’s needed an updated logo, business cards, menus, website, and additional marketing materials to get their new brand off the ground. We created each of these assets and couldn’t be more proud of how they turned out.

Environmental Restaurant Branding

Once the brand elements were created, we got to work on branding the restaurant space, too. Since the history of Fred’s was so unique, we wanted to emphasize it throughout the interior space. We created a storyboard graphic to be a focal feature in the restaurant. Our last step was to develop sayings for wall art, table decals, and attire to bring the brand into the dining experience.