Founded by two restauranteurs who restlessly trot the globe in search of new and traditional culinary gems, Narenj was birthed out of an appreciation for cuisine from the various countries they traversed. Envisioned as a brunch and dessert bar in an inspiringly verdant environment, the café cum botanical garden offers guests a variety of delicious plates from traditional to experimental shakshuka and boasts a highly crafted dessert bar inspired by the French pâtisseries visited on their travels.
2020
Brand strategy/platform
Brand identity design
Copywriting
Website design/build,
Packaging
Photography/art direction
Collateral
Rony Mikhael
Todd Neilson
With founders representing Lebanese and Persian backgrounds, this establishment would naturally exude a certain Middle Eastern quality. While they hoped to embrace some of it, the challenge was to do so in a manner that allowed no perception of this place as a typical Middle Eastern restaurant. Oh…and this was also during the pandemic of 2020, which added even more of a challenge, which the pair accepted head-on.
Doing away with tropes of tiled floor patterns and Perso-Arabian scripts, we opted for a more subtle approach, utilizing a typographic language that pays homage to the calligraphic nib of their cultural pens, paired with colours that harken to the books and spaces abounding in their home countries.
Throughout the visual language, the diamond is a simple yet meaningful graphic motif. It is inspired by the tittle of the Arabic counterpart to the letter “N”: “nuun”. This motif is used as a graphic element to create balance or simply visual interest, as well as a housing for photography and other visual content.
Emerging into the town’s hospitality scene offering a unique and novel experience with a strong identity, the Narenj brand quickly became one of high praise and thousands of shared social posts. It’s truly a community staple and a treat to both the eyes and mouth.
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