Grits & Grids is dead. Long live Graze Media.
When I launched Grits & Grids back in 2009, it wasn’t meant to be a “content platform.” It was a passion project. A digital sketchbook where I could collect and critique the most inspiring restaurant branding work from around the world. Over the years, it became something bigger—a stage for designers, strategists, and agencies to showcase ideas, and a spark for conversations about what makes restaurant branding matter.
Then Vigor, the agency I founded, was acquired. And with it, Grits & Grids was transferred over to the acquiring agency. I asked for it back. They refused.
And here’s the kicker: they’ve done nothing with it.
The channels have sat lifeless since 2023. No new work. No critiques. No voice. Just a dead feed where there was once a vibrant community.
I’ll be blunt: that felt like watching a restaurant I built with my own hands get bought out, gutted, and left to rot.
Refusing to Let the Conversation Die
I could have walked away. Let the silence take over. But I couldn’t shake the conviction that our industry still needed this platform. Restaurant branding is not just decoration. It’s the connective tissue between a restaurant and its people. Without a space to critique, challenge, and showcase the best work, the craft risks slipping back into the shadows.
So, I decided to start fresh. If I couldn’t revive Grits & Grids, I’d build something new. Something sharper, faster, and made for the way people actually consume media today.
That’s how Graze Media was born.
A New Platform for a New Era
Graze Media isn’t a nostalgic reboot. It’s an evolution.
Video-first critiques that show—not just tell—what works and what doesn’t.
Short-form storytelling across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram designed for bite-sized learning.
Global reach to highlight agencies, independents, and creatives shaping hospitality branding everywhere.
Instead of a static gallery of pretty designs, Graze is dynamic. It’s alive. It’s quick, sharp, and built to push conversations forward.
Why Graze Exists
Restaurants fight for relevance every single day. Branding is often the deciding factor in whether someone chooses you or walks by. Yet our industry still treats branding like a garnish instead of the main ingredient in building trust and connection.
Graze is here to change that. To showcase the brilliant. To call out the lazy. To inspire designers, operators, and entrepreneurs to demand more from their brand work.
This isn’t about tearing people down. It’s about raising the bar for everyone.
Where We’re Headed
Graze Media is just getting started, but here’s where you’ll find us:
YouTube for critiques and breakdowns that dig deeper.
Graze.media as the hub to connect it all.
The death of Grits & Grids wasn’t the end. It was a turning point. And honestly, I’m grateful for it. Because it forced me to ask a bigger question: how do we build a platform that doesn’t just showcase, but actually moves our industry forward?
That’s Graze.
And we’re only at the first course.
