“Wonderful humans, and very good at what they do. Let them help you make your business better.”
"They were innovative in their approach and really got us thinking about who we are at the core.”
"What a thoughtful and joyful experience. I want to start a new business and do it again."
You?
A hospitality branding agency from Melbourne for cafes, bars, roasters and wine stores.
Hospitality is the most competitive street in any suburb. A brand is how you stop being compared and start being chosen.
Good coffee, a good list and good service are now the minimum, so they will not grow the venue on their own. A position you own will. Commonfolk stopped competing on specialty coffee and created a category of its own, Partnership Coffee.
Hospitality Brand Audit & Strategy
We map the venues you compete with, read how regulars and first-timers see you, and find the idea you can own. For Commonfolk that idea was working directly with farmers at origin, named Partnership Coffee. For Bermuda Coffee Studio it was a purpose and four values that now run from the labels to the loyalty card.
- Competitor and category mapping
- Positioning and brand narrative
- Purpose, values and personality
- Naming for a new or second venue
What does the brand audit cover?
How regulars and first-timers see you against your competitors, how the brand reads from the search result to the menu, and what your team says you stand for. Two weeks, one working session, and a clear call: leave it, refresh it or rebuild it.
Identity, Voice & Illustration
A system your venue runs without us: logo, type, colour, voice and illustration, designed for the cup, the sticker and the chalkboard before the screen. Commonfolk’s hand-drawn bean characters, Independent Wine Store’s badges and Bermuda’s drip and mountain marks are all in daily use.
- Logo, typography and colour
- Illustration and character design
- Voice, tone and messaging
- Guidelines and templates
Why does a cafe or bar need a brand strategy?
Because the menu, the music and the second site are easier to decide when the idea behind the place is written down.
Packaging, Menus, Signage & Merch
Most of a hospitality brand is held in the hand. We design the bags, labels and cups, the menus and footpath signs, the totes and caps, as one system with print-ready files. Bermuda’s fifteen coffee labels, Commonfolk’s Order Here signage, Independent Wine Store’s packaging and Gather Round’s pizza menu were all designed with the brand. More on packaging design.
- Coffee bags, labels and cups
- Menus, loyalty cards and print
- Signage, A-frames and window decals
- Tote bags, caps and tees
Can you design our packaging and signage too?
Yes, with the brand, so the printer gets files that already fit. Sizes and materials are specified for your printer or sign-writer.
Websites, Shopify & Social
Venues that sell beans, bottles or merch online get a Shopify store built around the brand. Everyone else gets a fast Webflow site your team can edit. Commonfolk and Independent Wine Store both sell on Shopify. We are a Webflow Premium Partner and a Shopify Partner.
- Shopify stores for coffee, wine and merch
- Webflow sites with menus and bookings
- Social templates and photography direction
- Local SEO and Google Ads
Do you build the website too?
Yes. The team that sets the strategy builds the site, so nothing is lost in a handover.
A clear process for a hospitality brand that grows the business.
Audit & Diagnose
How you compare, how you are seen, and the honest call: leave, refresh or rebuild.
Position & Strategise
The idea you own and the story that holds it, agreed with the owners before any design.
Design the System
Identity, illustration, voice and templates, tested on a cup and a sign.
Build & Roll Out
Packaging, menus, signage, store and site. Staff meet the brand before customers do.
Steward
We stay on for the seasonal menu, the second venue and the next run of merch.
Starting prices, + GST, scoped to the venue and what the brand has to cover.
- Brand Audit (two weeks): competitor map, perception read, positioning options, a recommendation with a price for each path. The audit fee comes off the strategy fee if you go on.
- Brand Strategy (from AUD 5,000 + GST): positioning, purpose, audience mapping and brand narrative.
- Brand Identity Design (from AUD 10,000 + GST): the visual and verbal system on a strategic foundation, with guidelines.
- Full Brand: strategy and identity end to end, for a business repositioning for growth or a group bringing several names under one.
Packaging, menus and signage are scoped from the start. Get in touch to find out where yours lands.
It helps you answer three questions and apply the answers everywhere.
- Who are we? The idea the business stands for.
- What makes us different? The position that separates you from the venues your customers compare you with.
- How do we say it? The identity and system that carry it, from the footpath sign to the bag of beans.
In practice: brand strategy, identity, packaging, signage, a website or store. Here is how our brand strategy works.
Yes. We find what people already love about the place and build the new system to carry it. Regulars should recognise the venue on day one and feel it has become more itself.
Most full projects run 8 to 16 weeks from kick-off to final delivery.
- Weeks 1–3, Discovery and Research: stakeholder interviews and workshops, market and competitor analysis, audience research.
- Weeks 4–6, Strategy: positioning and differentiation, messaging framework and brand platform.
- Weeks 7–10, Identity Design: logo and visual identity, design system, application across touchpoints.
- Weeks 11–14, Refinement and Guidelines: refinement, brand guidelines and toolkit, templates.
- Weeks 15–16, Handover and Support: final delivery, team training and launch planning.
Packaging and signage follow your print and fit-out dates. Give us the opening date and we plan backwards from it.
It depends on your goals and the state of the brand. You likely need a full rebrand if:
- your positioning no longer reflects who you are or where you are going
- you have outgrown your original market or changed what you sell
- the brand creates confusion or fails to differentiate
- the visual identity looks dated next to the businesses you compete with
- the people who run the business struggle to explain what makes it different
You likely need a brand refresh if:
- the core positioning is strong but the visuals look tired
- you are evolving, not changing direction
- the guidelines lack consistency or do not scale
- the messaging needs tightening, not rethinking
Not sure? That is what the audit is for. It tells you which of these you are, and what each path would cost.
Yes. Our studio is in Mornington and we work across Melbourne and nationally, in person or online. Our studio is next door to Commonfolk.
"Wonderful humans, and very good at what they do. Let them help you make your business better."
You'll receive an email from us with next steps momentarily.
Looking for local services?