ALI BABA’S KITCHEN | BRAND IDENTITY + APPAREL + SIGNAGE
Since 2014, Ali Baba’s Kitchen has been a family-owned fast-casual restaurant known for blending time-honored Hala cooking with unique flavors from the Middle East. Starting as one of the first food trucks in New Haven, CT, ABK was looking to modernize its branding beyond just a logo refresh.
Industry
Project Scope
Fast-Casual Restaurant
Branding
Merchandising
Uniforms
Event Design
Food Cart
The idea was to set the business for the current generation and beyond with a franchising model that required a design system that could scale with new restaurants. This included the name, which brought some exciting challenges.
“Our lawyer called and we have to change the name…back”
In the final round of approvals, the name changed. Usually, this would have been a nightmare situation; however, it was not.
By design, the core elements of the icon were inspired by Halal cooking and Middle Eastern culture. Also, since the consumer, menu, and brand foundation had not changed, the core icon still worked.
The additional benefit was that both names came from the same story. So, with a simple typography switch, we adjusted and went into production.
THE WORK
Logo Variations
Pattern Exporation
Apparel - Merch & Employee Uniforms
