Pasta Amore

The Menu

A menu truly sets the tone for an establishment. While sticking to a structured layout, minimal look but with a flare of fun from the titles, the menu items are easy to read and clearly separated by section. The kids section being the block with a green background. Because it is a family establishment, kids need to feel like they are welcome within a menu and restaurant with a high quality selection. The section is distinct enough to be clearly identified, but also overlooked if kids are not part of the given party.

In order to create a warm and approachable menu amidst the modern minimal approach, I utilized a pattern near and dear to my heart- a nod to my home cooking. My grandmother has always set her table with a red and white plaid tablecloth, so the background holds a nod to that familial tradition. It creates a sense of humanity to an otherwise structured design.

THE BROCHURE

The personal touches is what will put Pasta Amore above others.

My approach to the brochure design was basically to create something I would keep and utilize in my real life. The pieces of branding that customers see, keep, and utilize, like brochures, letterheads, and business cards, are the face of the company and represent the brand when customers are not onsite. The worst thing a consumer can get is a brochure that is essentially pointless and comes off as boring and unrecognizable. With that in mind, I chose to base my brochure off my menu design.

The three panels on the inside of the brochure were made into a takeout menu. This is essentially the standard menu, with a couple additions and removals of items, and rearranged to fit the page and create a logical layout that also matches the rest of the design. In the original menu, the kids’ menu was sectioned off with a green background to make it distinct and welcome families, this idea and sectioning was the inspiration for the design of the takeout menu.

The three panels on the first page, so the front, back, and inside flap, were then more focused on giving information and introducing the brand to the guest. The inside flap was made into a promotional page that is showing information of a wine tasting night. The front was simply the logo and the basic information such as address, website, and so on. The back of the brochure I chose to make a note from the owners. Because Pasta Amore is aiming for a warm atmosphere that serves modern takes on classics to all ages of guests, I wanted a personal touch that connected the guests to the company beyond just the food and logo. The “letter” to the guests from the two owners’ thanks them for their business and introduces their intentions and love for what they are doing- creating a personal connection between the guest and restaurant.

The brochure does not have any photographs, a choice that demonstrate the modernity of Pasta Amore but also avoids showing random stock images of people which is as far from personal as it gets. The grapevine, which has been altered in Photoshop and Illustrator, is an image from my backyard. The drawing of the “owners” is a piece I made based off an image of my partner and I. I believe that small personal touches is what will put Pasta Amore above other businesses.

The typography of the design is very straight forward throughout. It is all in Klinic Slab, but with variations to size and style. The headers I included in the menu were incorporated on the promotion page. The menu’s typography was all aimed at creating hierarchy within each menu item, which was not only successful but creates character and style. This idea was utilized throughout the brochure. Klinic Slab as a font is not the most fun however it is easy to read, holds character, and is engaging when you mix the styles to create focus.

The goal is to introduce the fun and warm atmosphere, and modern twist to classics in their food- which was achieved by the style choices made throughout and the utilization of typical restaurant brochure elements. All in all, the brochure of Pasta Amore is aimed to be an introduction and informative piece that customers will not just throw in their junk drawer and forget about.

 THE TABLE TENTS

Both table tents are set up to be folded in half and stood on the table. The first is aimed to serve as an activity sheet for kids. As mentioned in the mission, kids need to be welcome at Pasta Amore but they cannot take away from an adult's dining experience.

KIDS TENT (Right): The background is a nod to the plaid, but is kept limited in terms of color versus white- the idea being that kids do not stay inside the lines, and they will utilize the whole tent has a drawing pad. The more blank canvas the better. Because I have chosen to make bold and standout subheadings throughout the pieces, I felt the kids tent needed the same type of choice. I decided to exaggerate the size of exclamation points and text, and make the page more colorful by changing that text to the provided Marinara Red or Leafy Green.

ADULT TENT (Left): In order to best utilize space, the horizontally arranged Pasta Amore logo is used. It allows for more information to be included on a single page, as well as spreads the viewers attention across the whole page. Just like on the menu, the heading and subheading of this drinks list uses both Italian and the English translation. Headings are put together using to contrasting variations of Klinic Slab to create emphasis on the page and a visual hierarchy within the heading. To create a nod and focus on modernity, I chose to only include drinks from two places, Italy and Washington State. I am located in Seattle, WA, so to me the Washington products are local. I wanted to maintain the trend of utilizing local products when possible, which is in my mind a modern trend that is utilized more and more.