The Whip
Brand Identity & Illustration - 2026 - Client
Building a brand before the doors open.
The Whip is a counter-service neighborhood eatery in Batavia, Illinois, just outside Chicago. When Danny reached out, there was a vision, a location, and a name. No logo, no colors, no brand. We build it all from scratch.
The Challenge
Danny Marek didn’t want to build another upscale sit-down restaurant or fast-food option. The goal was a place that felt like it had always belonged to the neighborhood. Casual, warm, familiar. Somewhere people would gather after a football game or every Tuesday morning, not just for special occasions.
The brand had to work everywhere. From signage, to cups, menu, staff shirts, and social media. All needed to exist before the restaurant had even opened.
The Approach
Discover: We started with Danny’s story. His culinary background. His family. Why he was opening a restaurant in Batavia. What the name meant. Who they wanted to serve.
Refine: By synthesizing the client interview, we were able to develop an archetype for the brand. “Everyman” and “Explorer”. Something familiar and approachable, but with something unique and appealing. That brought us to two keywords that defined the brand, “Fantastic Classics”. Every design decision after that had to pass through this filter.
Identify: We landed on a hand-drawn, mascot-driven creative direction. Inspired to look like neighborhood establishment with character, but with the brand refinement that communicated quality.
Visualize: We played with some different characters that could evoke the brand. A bulldog, a cat, a cowboy. All this exploration became alive as soon as we landed on a color palette. The orange and brown with subtle green accents told a relatable story. It offered a retro flare that caught the eye but felt grounded.
Expand: We carried the identity across the menu, posters, tray liners, cups, social graphics and the website so the brand feels the same at the counter as it does online.
What We Made
The Result
The Whip aims to open in 2027. Danny is using the brand guidelines to order signage, collateral and setup social media ahead of opening. I’ll update the page with photos once the doors open.