El Cariñito is a mexican restaurant located in the downtown of Querétaro, México that wanted us to evoke a laid-back marketplace atmosphere with hints of mexican kitsch elements in their logotype and in the restaurant branding. In order to represent a traditional culture without shout out clichés in every element, we focused on what defines a typical restaurant in town, besides the food, the higher colorful aesthetics that brings folk into a every detail of the eating experience.
The smells, the humble elements in regular marketplace kitchens, the way people solves graphic issues by handmade, and the particular language to express traditional ingredients and saucers, have served as inspiration for this project. Graphically, from the lettering of Guadalupe Posada and the iconic paintings of Frida Kahló, through diverse signs in marketplaces and mexican golden age movie titles set accurately the right background to design the logotype and bring emotion to the commensals before they've started tasting their saucers.
Mood board.
Sketches and other options in the logotype construction. The "luchadores" were a client's request that we were skeptical to use, almost refuted, but after several repeated requests, we tooked the idea in order to illustrate sub-logos which was more accurate in it's function.
Candle centerpiece with screenprinted logotype.
Breakfast and lunch menu.
Meal menu.
Dinner menu.
Carryout plastic bag.
Station of cups: mud cup, pewter mug and glass.
Lemon sorbet in mini traditional blue cups to cleanse the palate of the commensals.
A wooden hand painted truck that served as the check presenter.
