Ludwig Biergarten
a new restaurant brand
Ludwig Biergarten is another restaurant for which I thought of the name and contributed to the design of the logo and other branding materials.
As usual, we at Schoos Design performed in-depth market analysis and conceptual design prior to branding this new restaurant, and wrote the summary (excerpt below) which was used in the presentation to the owners and representatives of the Original Farmers Market/The Grove. The name "Ludwig" is authentically Germanic and yet is familiar to Americans as the first name of the composer Beethoven and also "Mad King Ludwig" who built the famous Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria (inspiration for the Disneyland castle).
Note: although a restaurant called "Ludwig Biergarten" is now open at the Farmers Market, it bears little resemblance to the concept envisioned by our team. After a business dispute, the ownership of the restaurant decided to go with a different interior design firm. They did, however, decide to keep the name that I chose.
Update: The Ludwig knock-off restaurant has since closed, which I sincerely believe would not have happened, had they gone with our original concept and design.
Creating the Logo
The logo is a classically ornate typographic treatment of the name, with a simplified rendering of a traditional crown shape that is authentic to the Germanic countries in the Alpine region. Although ornate, the logo is rendered in a flat, crisp style that is modern, fitting the "updated traditional" decor of the restaurant.
Branded Items
The following items are all part of the branding scheme we created for use in the restaurant and also for sale to the public, especially during events like Oktoberfest.
Branded items for use in the restaurant
Branded merchandise and Oktoberfest items
Website
Like the interior design, the concept for the website is clear and crisp, with food featured prominently.
An initial comp for the Ludwig website
Sadly, ownership abandoned the authentic Alpine concept and our retro-modern branding for a generic American concept, keeping only the name. Unfortunately, clients do not always follow the advice of their design consultants.