Designing a Spanish Bodega with a Brazilian Soul

Bodega Pepito was born from a cultural collision:

the spirit of a traditional Spanish bodega meets the informality of a Brazilian boteco in the heart of São Paulo. Located on Rua dos Pinheiros, the project introduces the Iberian cuisine of Catalan chef Oscar Bosch through a language that feels accessible, playful, and deeply social.

More than a restaurant, Bodega Pepito is conceived as a meeting point — a space where rituals are shared, glasses clink without ceremony, and conversation flows as naturally as vermouth from the tap. It carries the warmth of Barcelona’s neighborhood taverns and blends it with the vibrant spontaneity of São Paulo’s street culture. The result is an atmosphere that feels both transported and rooted, foreign and familiar at the same time.

The identity translates this duality into a visual system that is both Mediterranean and, simultaneously, local. The logo transforms the counterform of the typography into an olive — a subtle symbol of Spanish tavern culture. The olive, traditionally paired with vermouth, becomes a recurring graphic gesture, anchoring the brand in ritual and memory.

Typography, color, and graphic composition reinforce this dialogue between refinement and informality. Earthy tones evoke sunlit plazas and aged wood counters, while bold layouts echo the visual noise and layered textures of São Paulo’s urban landscape. Every element was designed to feel effortless yet intentional, like a long lunch that turns into an evening gathering without anyone noticing.

Bodega Pepito is not just about serving food; it is about staging encounters. It celebrates the pleasure of staying longer than planned, of ordering “just one more,” of turning the ordinary into a small celebration. In this collision of cultures, identity becomes flavor — and flavor becomes story.