The prompt for the Restaurant Project was a combination of two courses, adding Graphic Design Identity and Brand. Both courses were rebranding a restaurant that extended from a new building that included corporate offices down to a new logo that was an innovative look into the brand that had already existed. Consideration was needed for the circulation of customers and employees, ADA consideration, greenspace, brand readability, logo, menu, and touchpoints from merchandise to packaging.
Toms Dairy Freeze is an established walk-up restaurant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that began in 1969. They have started the process of franchising and will be rebuilding the original lot. They have purchased the adjoining lot for ample space to house a dine-in, patio dining with their traditional walk-up order window, patio access to their corporate office, and the neighboring travel agency. The climate has four seasons spanning three months each, temperatures ranging from 31* to 81*F, and average rainfall is 2.75”, with up to 13 inches of snowfall a year. The Queensway is a four-lane main street that runs through the established neighborhood, with Toms being an anchor to the community.
The concept for Toms is to update their current brand and environment that is fresh new yet pays homage to the restaurant’s history. Toms loves the idea of the “diner” look but does not want the cliché diner experience. The intent is to modify the color palette from Toms iconic bright blue and yellow to muted blues and yellows. Providing an indoor dining experience will bring customer traffic year-round while maintaining an outdoor walk-up order window with outdoor seating to enjoy during comfortable weather. The indoor order counter is adjacent to the counter seating area; booths and tables will provide plenty of seating during inclement weather. A hallway leads to the men’s and women’s restrooms. Employees will bring the food and drinks to the tables and will also clear the tables. The overall new branding will give Toms a step up in the dining experience, creating a new and comfortable atmosphere that will be memorable for both locals and tourists.
