Jim's Bar & Grill

About 35 years ago my Dad (Jim), working his bartending job in college, playfully answered the phone “Jim’s Bar and Grill!”, and got scolded by his manager.
Since then, it has become a running joke in our family. At family gatherings, when he’s serving drinks or cooking dinner, someone always jokingly calls out, “Jim’s Bar and Grill!”

Although he never wants to open an actual bar, the name has become a cherished part of our family lore, and I decided to bring it to life.

I created a visual identity that integrates elements from my Dad’s personality and our family’s shared memories.

Personal Project

The Brand

The visuals for the brand are inspired by my Dad’s personality and interests.
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The Wordmark - The logo uses a script typeface so it can be a direct translation of his signature. A retro, diner typeface fit the feel.
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The Mark - Representative a wheat/barley stock, references his love for beer and whiskey.
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The Spur - Reference to his interest of old westerns — I grew up watching Clint Eastwood and John Wayne movies with him in our living room.
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Typography - "Gin", provides an old-style, wild west feel, and "Gimlet" as a stylistic match, and more readable, functional typeface.

I asked my Dad what would be on the menu

Of course, it features some of his favorite beers , cocktails, and classic meals, but the real highlights are the desserts.

My Mom's apple pie is a family favorite.

A couple of my Dad's specialties bananas flambé and chocolate soufflé.

And, of course, the skillet cookie — something our family always orders when dining out. It wouldn't be "Jim’s Bar and Grill" without it.

The Sub-Brand:
Jim's Craft Beer

My Dad is a homebrewer, so naturally, I had to imagine that Jim's Bar and Grill would have an in-house brewing operation. I modified the color palette to reflect the style of each beer, and used 'the spur' to make it distinct but closely related to the main brand.

The beer names are a nod to the real beers my Dad brewed over the years — Hair of the Dog that Bit Me, Bitter Cold, and Bashful Blonde.

Hair of the Dog that Bit Me...

Got its name from an unfortunate surprise at the end of one of my Dad's brewing process. After finishing the entire brewing process and waiting 1 month for it to finish fermenting, my Dad discovered a stray hair from the family dog in the fermenter, making the entire batch tainted and unsterile. We still drank it though.

Interior Moodboard

This was by-far the easiest part of the whole project, and I feel like I could've done it without even asking him what it would look like.

When I asked him for his vision of the space, he only said two things: "a lot of wood and a brass railing to rest your feet on at the bar."

Development

Early Sketches

Many of the ideas I explored in this stage didn't make it to the final version, but it was not my goal to solve the problem or come up with a solution at this point.

I drew many iterations of the logo, but I was more-so focused on meditating on the things that remind me of my Dad, and get myself into the right headspace to do the project.