That new coffee chain in Portland totally missed brand basics

I stopped at one of those minimalist spots on SE Hawthorne last Saturday and the whole experience felt off. They spent huge money on the interior, like $300k easy with marble counters and custom lighting, but the name on the cup didn't match the storefront sign. The logo was tiny on the menu but huge on the window, and the fonts didn't even match. It's like their brand designer never talked to the signage guy or the packaging team. If a customer can't tell what they're looking at in the first 5 seconds, you lost them. I mean, how do you drop that much cash and not even align your visual identity? Has anyone else walked into a place where the branding felt like three different companies fighting for control?

1 comments

1 Comment

wyatt_lee1d ago

Honestly, maybe you’re overthinking this. A cup that doesn’t match the sign is only a problem if the coffee is bad, and let’s be real, nobody reads the logo while they’re waiting in line anyway. The whole minimalist thing is kinda the point, it all blurs together and that’s what Portland nerds want in their Instagram shot. If the interior cost that much, they clearly spent their money on the vibe, not on making sure the font on a throwaway cup was identical. I’d rather have a $300k space with mismatched paper than a perfect brand kit served in a styrofoam cup.