Bufalina Brand and Identity — In-House International

Bufalina is a Neapolitan Pizza restaurant in Austin, TX that’ s a cross between beloved neighborhood joint and a destination eatery. Before opening its doors, Bufalina’s owners wanted a unique identity that was “simple, clean and understatedly elegant.” We wanted to ensure that the brand looked authentically like itself, and was set up so that it could grow with the restaurant.

A couple of years after it first launched, founder Steven Dilley requested a second iteration of the logo for a second location, Bufalina Due. With the brand about to have two locations, we learned of a different design challenge: the menu, which had been a homegrown design, was already the source of significant logistical friction. Multiple editors would work on the daily menu, and a last minute scramble to reconcile all changes was a daily ritual. They felt ready to upgrade the menu design but Dilley expressed concern: it was already messy. How would they keep the menu updated at all times, and also keep the formatting intact? Was there any way for multiple editors to add to a single, self-updating menu without messing up the style?

Process

To visually communicate Bufalina’ s philosophy, In-House created a simple system that evoked craftsmanship, pizza dough rounds and finger-drawn icons and type in a restricted color palette. The logo’ s components account for versatility, allowing for a variety of combinations for extensive usage.

As for the menu, we had a different challenge. How can the latest version always be visible to everyone at the same time, wherever they are? A cloud solution seemed obvious. But we also took care to account for the needs of the business: something fast, easy to use, and that would keep its design principles intact. That is, an unbreakable menu template.

Results

The logo we delivered was hand painted on the door and on a large street sign in its first venue. It immediately communicated its commitment to quality, a promise it certainly delivered on—Bufalina has been named best pizza in town, and among the best in the country.

Leveraging a product solution that we were developing internally, we created a custom web menu styler for Bufalina and Bufalina Due. The app keeps the menus on brand and is easy to use, while allowing the two restaurants to print their menus in-house (in their own laser printer) and coordinate remotely. This lets them make changes to the menu right up to their evening service. We’re continuing to develop a general solution for restaurant menus, and both Bufalina locations have signed on as tester-customers.