Case Study · Branding
PHILLY — Restaurant Brand Identity
A full bilingual brand identity for a UAE restaurant — from logo system and color through packaging, signage, and a roll-out kit for the team.
- Client
- PHILLY
- Sector
- Food & Beverage
- Location
- United Arab Emirates
Deliverables
- Brand strategy & positioning
- Logo system (primary, secondary, monogram)
- Bilingual Arabic + English wordmarks
- Color palette & typography system
- Menu design & in-store collateral
- Packaging (boxes, cups, sleeves)
- Signage & exterior identity
- Brand guidelines PDF
The brief
PHILLY came to D-ZONE with the kitchen, the menu, and the location lined up — but no brand. They needed an identity that could carry the warmth of a neighbourhood spot while looking confident enough to scale across the UAE. The challenge: build something distinctive in a saturated F&B category, balanced for both Arabic and English customers, and ready for production within their opening date.
Our approach
We started with a half-day discovery workshop with the founders. We mapped the audience, walked the location, and reviewed the competitive set across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. From there we wrote a one-page positioning statement that anchored every design decision: PHILLY would feel generous, hand-made, and unapologetically itself. Three concept directions followed within ten days, each pushed to live application — packaging, menu, signage — so the founders could choose based on how it would actually feel to a guest, not just a logo on a slide.
The system
The chosen direction pairs a bold custom wordmark with a softer secondary mark for tighter applications. The Arabic lockup was hand-drawn rather than translated, so it carries the same energy as the Latin version. A warm, food-friendly color palette was tested under restaurant lighting before sign-off. Typography pairs a confident display face with a clean, bilingual body family that works on menus, receipts, and Instagram captions alike.
Rollout
We supervised production for the first run of menus, signage, and packaging through our trusted UAE print partners. The brand guidelines PDF gave the operations team — including hires made after the launch — a single source of truth so the brand stays consistent without us in the room. PHILLY opened on schedule with a full identity that looks at home in the space.
Outcome
The brand has since been extended to additional menu items and seasonal campaigns, all built on the system we delivered — a sign that the identity is earning its keep beyond launch.
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