Brand Positioning for Restaurant - Gott's Roadside

Gott’s Roadside

What makes Gott’s different — and so popular — is its modern gourmet interpretation (ahi burgers, sweet potato fries, espresso milkshakes, fine wine) of a classic American burger stand. We felt their only liability was that their graphics didn’t measure up to the high quality of the food.

This iconic drive-in in the Napa Valley had been known for decades as Taylor’s Automatic Refresher. For legal reasons, the owners — the Gott family — had to change the name before any further expansion. We couldn’t “mess” with any aspect of the beloved brand. We had to communicate that it was the same exact place, just with a new name.

In really short order (less than eight weeks), we: renamed the business; created an entirely new visual language; and executed signage, website, menus, apparel, and packaging. We added an absurdly literal tagline — Tray Gourmet — as orders are served on a tray.

LOGOTYPE

The logotype is drawn by hand and designed to look three-dimensional, evoking the quality of vintage signage.

STREET APPEAL

All three locations have a certain retro quality, and each projects its own vibe. Joel and Duncan Gott opened their original St. Helena location in 1999. In 2004, they opened a second location, in San Francisco’s gourmet mecca, the Ferry Building Marketplace. In 2008, Gott’s opened at Napa’s Oxbow Public Market. We wanted to play up the no-frills aesthetic and amplify its utilitarian hipness.

APPAREL

T-shirts, a major part of the brand, are limited-edition collectibles.

MENUS

Inspired by vintage menus, which often included a personal letter from the owners, we stapled on a note directly from the Gotts, confirming that the place is completely unchanged. We contributed one special menu offering, a happy meal for $19.

SIGNAGE AND POSTERS

Much of the exterior signage – such as “Open” and “Closed” – was hand painted onto Gott’s signature silver trays by New Bohemia Signs in San Francisco. We did a photo shoot to make the food look like vintage half-tones from the 1950s.