With eight locations throughout Texas (Austin, San Antonio and Houston), Tarka Indian Kitchen has been recognized as one of the hottest upscale fast casual restaurant concepts in the country. By serving fresh, high quality, made-to-order food with customizable menu items  (spice level + protein options), Tarka has set itself apart from competitors. The name “Tarka” translates into the sizzle of freshly sauteed ingredients, a sound and aroma that welcomes diners. After opening the first location in 2009, numerous accolades and strong affinity relationships with customers helped fuel the restaurant’s growth. On the heels of its expansion, Tarka turned to W|W to help the business navigate a comprehensive rebranding initiative, such that all touch-points were aligned with the quality of food and experience delivered at the restaurant. 

The Tarka logo is a bold, yet simple type-driven mark, partially inspired by Hindu Sanskrit alphabet. To take advantage of the branded touch points throughout the restaurant experience, W|W designed a set of graphic seals to augment the visual library, as well as a custom icon set and related pattern work. In addition to helping graphically extend the identity, the combination the seals and icons add clarity to the concept while supporting the menu navigation.

Just as Tarka’s cuisine represents a fresh take on favorite dishes, the restaurant’s environmental branding embraces familiar Indian visuals and gives them a contemporary feel. Inspired by the street typography and the urban vernacular of modern India, W|W developed an elegant but simple, layered graphic system.  Incorporating brightly painted walls with location-specific mandalas, custom typography, and food poster art drawn from Indian market signage, the physical space delivers a clean, modern, and invitingly casual atmosphere. Not your typical neighborhood Indian restaurant.

The integrated branding extends thoughtfully through all points of customer engagement, from merchandising to social media to advertising, helping to define the emerging restaurant category and dispelling misperceptions about Indian dining.