Brera

We were approached by the new owners of Cafe Brera to rebrand the 30 year old coffee shops based in Canary Wharf.

‘Brera’ name comes from Brera Village in Milan, known for its elegant food and fashion, Insight Hospitality wanted this to be reflected in the brand development of Brera. The team wanted the new concept to have an authentic Italian feel with a sleek and refined style, to achieve this the process was as follows…

The team worked with Plus Agency to work on Cafe Brera’s new brand strategy, positioning and brand identity. Working through a series of carefully crafted strategy workshops with the client, Plus Agency developed the new brand strategy which centred around its Milanese roots, the busy world it serves and its dynamic environment and attitude. The team developed the brand promise a”TASTE LIFE WITH GUSTO” – a play on words – Gusto meaning with enthusiasm in English and great taste in Italian.

‘The logotype is inspired by the signage found in Milan with the centre bar of the E adapted to resemble a shape reminiscent of a sun ray – the idea being that visiting Brera is like inviting a ray of sunshine into our busy daily lives. The decorative pattern we created was inspired by the floor of the Duomo in Milan; we also developed the applications and the overarching design of the website.’ – Plus Agency

Next we brought in Daniel Monk in to develop the interiors. The brief was to create a theatre feel with a grab and go counter and all day operated table service cafe. With the replacement of tables and chairs, white walls and impersonal table service, with luxurious leather bunket seating, intricate Italian made wallpaper and large menu boards boasting the ‘Menu of the Day’. These changes transformed these cafe’s into a more seductive and welcoming spaces, you might want to grab a focaccia and coffee to go, but you might also want to stay hang around for a few Espresso Martinis.

As the group had six outlets the decision was made to develop a central production kitchen to ensure quality and consistency of the iconic pastries, cakes, hand cut pasta, sauces and sourdough pizza.

Due to Italians being known for their fabulous coffee, with the help of coffee gurus and multi-award-winning coffee roasting company, Square Mile Coffee Roasters.