Fat Noodle is a new pasta-focused dining experience from James Beard Award-winning chef Paul Berglund. Buddy-Buddy was hired to bring Chef Berglund’s vision to life through a playful and approachable visual identity, and to apply the branding across all print, environmental, and digital executions.

Chef Berglund’s inspiration for our design work was steeped in nostalgic, mid-century Italian-American cues. From the use of bright greens and reds to a custom logotype channeling mom-and-pop Italian eateries of the 1970’s, the final brand system has a distinctive personality that refuses to take itself too seriously; a fitting solution for a restaurant of this name.

more detailed design description:
The project features a custom logotype inspired by Italian-American family restaurants and pizzerias from the 70’s and 80’s. The logotype blends aspects from Cooper, ITC Benguiat, and Hobo, with a fattened flair added to the letter bases. We threw in a dancing ‘A’ and some diagonal stress to the O’s.

We also created an illustration system using various forms of pasta to mimic the brand symbol and highlight new dishes on @paulberglund’s constantly-evolving menu. Bonus: when flipped and pieced together, the illustrations work as a repeatable brand pattern for an appetizingly carb-heavy visual.