Overview
This identity redesign was created for Tuppee Tong Thai, a family-owned Thai restaurant located in downtown Muncie, Indiana. The redesign focused on emphasizing a fun and welcoming experience for new and returning customers, with the defining motif being the cashew, a prominent ingredient in many dishes at Tuppee Tong. I focused on keywords like comfort, spice, tradition, and flavor. The main objectives being to regain patronage, reflect the business nature, and evoke relevant emotions.
Mock ups showing what to-go boxes would look like
Background
As a Tuppee Tong customer for four years, I’ve become familiar with the restaurant and menu, but I’d only ever exchanged brief thanks with the owner, Tony. I decided it was time to interview him and hear his story.
As a Tuppee Tong customer for four years, I’ve become familiar with the restaurant and menu, but I’d only ever exchanged brief thanks with the owner, Tony. I decided it was time to interview him and hear his story.
Tony’s family is from Phuket, Thailand. When an older couple wanted to pass down Tuppee Tong, Tony seized the chance, moving from Phuket to share his grandmother’s recipes. He transformed the restaurant, revamped the menu, and even designed a new logo reflecting its name: tuppee means serving spoon, and tong means golden in Thai.
Old logo used by previous owners
New logo created by Tony
Process
I began by reviewing my research and focusing on what would excite people about Tony’s cooking and set Tuppee Tong apart from other Thai spots in Muncie. I kept coming back to the spice blend served with entrees—red pepper flakes, crushed peanuts, and cashews. As a first-time customer, it stood out, especially since most American dishes implement greens/herbs for garnish.
I began by reviewing my research and focusing on what would excite people about Tony’s cooking and set Tuppee Tong apart from other Thai spots in Muncie. I kept coming back to the spice blend served with entrees—red pepper flakes, crushed peanuts, and cashews. As a first-time customer, it stood out, especially since most American dishes implement greens/herbs for garnish.
Here you can see me playing around with the spoon idea
working on character development...
I heavily explored custom typefaces during this project
The "golden serving spoon" motif also inspired me to create a spook character which led to more characters based on popular Thai ingredients. A restaurant mascot felt perfect to represent the joy of trying new food, the comfort of Tony's familial cooking, and his unique spice blend, which sets him apart from the competition.
Typography & Color Scheme
Character Family
Final Lock-Ups
Mock Ups
Custom to-go bag showing the entire character family
Custom To go bags could be used to differentiate special diets...
Motion Graphics
