Case study

Meso

Creating a modern brand for a familiar and favorite cuisine.

Modern Mediterranean

Vine Hospitality Group is a multi-concept operator in the San Francisco Bay Area. The award-winning Chef Roland Passot is Chief Culinary Officer, with brands which include Left Bank Brasserie and LB Steak, both area favorites. As the group prepared to launch MESO, a new Mediterranean concept, they asked our team to distill the vision from key stakeholders, culinary teams and architects and translate that vision into a brand that would resonate.

Meso, meaning “middle,” signifies the coming together of culinary influences from across the region coupled with vibrant hospitality. At Meso life is centered around the table and meals bring people together from near and far to reinvigorate connection, conversation, and community. The name was well-suited to the bustling Santana Row location. The restaurant identity needed to capture this sense of “coming together,” as well as communicate an approachable energy. While the restaurant would have serious culinary cred, it also needed to be a bright and fun experience, one that would appeal to those seeking authenticity as well as those looking for a place to mix and mingle after work.

An Oasis on Santana Row

Just as Santana Row is known as a “village within a city,” Meso is a retreat within a bustling commercial hub. Natural light, a dramatic water feature, handcrafted ropework, mosaic tiles, and intricate latticework, bring you to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. The visual brand relies on this concept of “meeting in the middle.” The logo, menu concept and website all rely on elements “coming together.” The result is a brand that showcases the spirit and style of an ideal Mediterranean experience.