Image: Freddy's pizza shopfront
From your brand name to your logo design, there’s a lot that goes into branding your small business. The good news is that with the right tools and knowledge you can become your own marketing agency. Here, Freddy’s pizza bar shares how they built their brand to help you do the same.
Freddy’s co-owner Daniel Leuzzi knew that his first restaurant had to stand out from the crowd in the sea of neon signage and precise typefaces that characterise the buzzing food scene of Chapel Street, Melbourne. Freddy’s branding was born by thinking outside the box and including a special family touch.
Featuring a white, back-lit sign with red handwriting, Freddy's pizza bar shopfront is equal parts endearing and comforting. It’s a pizza restaurant born from a love of honest food and an ode to the Italian heritage of business partners Daniel Leuzzi and Tom Giurioli. The pair knew that the name of their pizza bar, and its branding, had to reflect this.
The duo agreed on a name instantly. “Once we had the concept and the idea of what we wanted the restaurant to be, the name ‘Freddy’s’ brought it all together,” says Daniel. “We knew it was the right fit.”
Mindful the restaurant’s branding had to evoke the same passion that inspired its inception, Daniel reached out to his cousin, Amelia, a graphic designer based in London, who was keen to start coming up with ideas.
“About a week later she [Amelia] came back to me with a concept based on our grandfather, our nonno. She had Nonno write the name ‘Freddy’s’ in five or six different fonts, and with different pens,” Daniel recalls.
Amelia had identified an opportunity to add a touch of sentiment to the brand. “Even though Freddy’s isn’t named after anyone in particular, our branding has a backstory,” says Daniel. “It is who we are. We’re very close in our family, so Freddy’s is an ode to that.”
Even though Freddy’s isn’t named after anyone in particular, our branding has a backstory. It is who we are. We’re very close in our family, so Freddy’s is an ode to that.
- Daniel Leuzzi, co-owner of Freddy’s
From the several handwritten logo options Amelia presented, Daniel and Tom had to choose two. “We chose one in capitals for our main logo and another in lower-case for our wine glasses.”
Through the front windows of the restaurant, the polished wine glasses wait at the bar, all labelled with identical, scripted text. The authenticity of the Freddy’s brand matches the aesthetic of the restaurant perfectly – from the checked red-and-white tablecloths to the roaring woodfired pizza oven. It’s this consistent storytelling – in everything from their brand logo through to the dining experience – that sets Freddy’s apart.
Online, the Freddy’s website is simple and true to brand. Daniel runs the restaurant’s social media himself and has attracted a large following. Conversational captions sprinkled with Italian phrases accompany action shots from the kitchen, and enough close-ups of pizza to work up appetites.
This collaborative family affair is something that Daniel holds close. “It’s a bit different and it’s special to us. [Our brand logo is] handwritten by an old man, whose second language was English. He [Daniel’s grandfather] passed away a few months before we’d opened. So, he didn’t get to see it, but he would have loved it.”
Establishing a brand that translates its meaning to your audience or customers is just as vital as creating a quality product or service. If your story has a special ingredient, your customers will remember it.
Daniel and Tom of Freddy’s have mastered the art of pizza. They’ve also crafted an authentic narrative that resonates with their customers and keeps them coming back for more. By thinking creatively and carefully about your brand logo, business website, and digital marketing strategy, you can also help your business to build its customer loyalty.
This article does not necessarily reflect the views of Telstra or its staff.
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