Branding for Uppenattem
Breakfast was an untapped daypart for Cruz Hospitality. In an effort to capitalize on the burgeoning opportunity, they asked Bullhearted to create a new concept that would compete against national competitors. With a croissant in our mouth and coffee in our veins, we dove into a core strategy that spanned from core concept development through restaurant naming and brand identity. But we didn’t stop there, we ideated a fresh advertising campaign to launch and position the new brand. Here’s how we got after it on Cruz Hospitality’s newest restaurant concept.
Year
Client
Client Type
Location(s)
Services
2024
Cruz Hospitality
Fast Casual
Tallahassee, FL
Advertising, Branding, Concept Development, Interiors/Environments, Naming, Packaging, Uniform/Merchandise, Verbal Identity, Visual Identity
Shifting the brand Strategy
There are many players in the breakfast space. Coffee is well covered by major brands that dominate nearly every market. Breakfast items are usually fast in a bakery format, and slow in a full sit down. Offering hot breakfast items for those on the go was a critical part of the market largely untapped.
Building from this basis, we looked to the core market of college students. They notoriously skip breakfast more often than not, and they’ve recently left a life mode where parents or grandparents cooked for them on a frequent basis.
Combining these insights led to a strategy foundation that mixes nostalgia and warmth from the home with a dash of go getter attitude.
Retro Vintage
Warm
Quirky
Restaurant Brand Naming
Finding a name that captured the merging of the brand personalities was quite difficult. With so many coffee shops and bakeries in every city across the world, any plays off of morning, eggs, coffee, and other morning terms was already covered. We had to dig deep.
Our inspiration for the name came from a common saying in the morning time amongst older generations. Known to say “let’s get up and at them” to energize the wake up process is a well known statement.
It was a phonetic and streamlined version of this statement that served as the brand name: uppenattem. While more syllables than may be comfortable for some, the colloquial commonality of the term makes it easy to read, say and remember.
Establishing the restaurant as a breakfast joint was another challenge. While there would be plenty of touchpoints to do just that, signage was a core place to communicate the day part. But a simple “breakfast food” just wouldn’t be on brand. Instead, we ran with modern slang to offset the classic slang. “Brekky Joint” became the standard perfect descriptor.
Restaurant brand identity design
The identity for Uppenattem took on a nostalgic, warm personality. Nostalgic came into play with 1960-70’s era design elements like the parallel lines and geometric typography. The warm reds, magentas, and yellow scaled colors also pull from the era to establish a sense of post modern vibes.
Simplifying the logo design down to an icon, the “u” letter was designed into a coffee cup with a lightning bolt. The mnemonic device creates a correlation to energy and a jolt received from the go-to morning beverage.
Restaurant Advertising & Marketing Design
Uppenattem was set to have numerous collateral touchpoints to consider for telling the brand’s story. Inside and outside the four walls, the brand had to establish its position in market while communicating what kind of food and beverage it offered. To achieve this goal, we created a series of posters inspired by the idea, “we’re cooking breakfast so your granny/grampy doesn’t have to.”
Imagery of elderly folks enjoying sports and recreation usually seen by younger folks created a unexpected jolt for the potential guest. Whether it was a granny deadlifting some serious weight, or a grampy dancing in the street with a boombox, the imagery grabbed attention and left an unforgettable impression. Coupled with the imagery was clever headline copy and an image of a specific food item. The entire composition set a visual identity tone that reflected the throwback vibes established by the brand’s core.
Additional collateral elements like uniforms with the phrase, “Wakey, wakey, eggs & bakey” helped support the brand’s verbal identity. That identity continued on to food packaging that went beyond slapping a logo on cups and bags.
“[They] captured the heart of my family and this brand that we have built for over a century. We look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come with a brand we love and believe in.”
Project Recap
The work for Uppenattem was a bold endeavor into creating a concept that resonates with both energy and authenticity. Focused on the ethos of optimism and vigor, the brand was crafted to symbolize the thrill of starting fresh and the satisfaction of a day well spent. Through strategic alignment of visual elements, storytelling, and culinary research, Uppenattem captures the spirit of those early risers and go-getters who fuel their mornings with more than just coffee—it’s a lifestyle embodied in every detail.
Currently, the Uppenattem concept is being pitched to academic food and beverage directors, aiming to inspire a new generation of dining experiences that combine passion with practicality. We’re excited to see where this journey takes us next.