A complete brand experience for a new restaurant business that traces its roots back to a history of food saga and expertise.
Mr. Gopalkrishna Kamath is the third-generation owner of the iconic Madras Cafe and Hotel Gopal in Mumbai. He came to us with an idea of carrying forward the tradition of being self-made entrepreneurs and passionate food lovers through his new South Indian food cafe. Our brief was to take this passion project and transform it into an impactful brand, from giving it a unique name to building its digital presence and designing the entire online and offline brand collateral.
The bar was set high for us. Mr. Gopalkrishna's family have been food veterans and experienced business owners since the pre-independence era. Our main challenge was to build a contemporary brand while maintaining the history and legacy of the family name.
For the digital portfolio, we used the family business's history to craft an engaging story, complementing the brand story page with simple and elegant caricatures that add a nostalgic feel. Simple, conversational fonts and a lot of aesthetically pleasing images formed the core of our website design, using the same colour palette as the offline collateral to retain brand consistency, with a few illustrations above the CTA buttons for fun.
Our first task was to brainstorm a brand name. We wanted to capture the essence of an authentic South Indian kitchen and add a unique twist — with 'Masalasam', we hit the jackpot: a palindrome that reads the same forwards and backwards. We also designed the logo text as Devanagari alphabets overlapped with their English counterparts, giving the brand a creative identity, with red and a sprinkling of yellow as our colour scheme to signify the rich flavor of Indian spices. Menu cards, pamphlets, brochures, and even the store interiors — we ensured the branding was consistent throughout.
The frontend design captivates visitors with an intuitive interface, showcasing the rich South Indian culinary heritage. Navigation is user-friendly, encouraging exploration of the menu and creating a visually delightful online dining experience, with responsiveness ensuring customers can access the website effortlessly across devices.
Our brand strategy for Masalasam helped the business achieve a unique brand positioning in the market. With a contemporary digital presence and an engaging history, the brand was able to carry forward the family legacy of bringing authentic taste and great service to every customer.
