A Lighthouse
for Sue’s.
Sue’s Café wanted a fresh look with a welcoming, seaside feel. We designed a new logo around a hand-drawn lighthouse, then carried it onto the signage and every menu board in the café.
- WHO — Susan Taggart, Sue’s Café
- WHAT — Logo Design, Brand Identity, Signage, Menu Design, Print-ready Artwork
- WHEN — 2024
- WHERE — A seaside café
- HOW — Concepts first, one chosen mark, then the same look on every sign and menu
Fresh Look,
Coastal Roots.
Sue’s is a café by the sea serving hot food, sandwiches, drinks and ice cream. Susan wanted a full rebrand that felt welcoming and showed where the café belongs: on the coast. It needed a new logo, new signage and new menus that all looked like they came from the same place.
- New logo with a seaside feel
- Signage for outside and inside the café
- Menus that are easy to read at a glance
Nine Ideas,
One Lighthouse.
We started with a board of logo ideas, all built around a lighthouse. Some were bold line icons in blue or teal, some were playful with a sun and gulls, and some were hand-drawn engravings. Seeing them side by side made it easy for Susan to pick the direction that felt most like Sue’s.
- Line-icon, illustrated and engraved routes
- Shown on light, dark and coloured backgrounds
- One clear favourite taken forward
Hand-drawn,
Like Chalk.
The chosen logo is a finely drawn lighthouse standing on the water, with gulls overhead and “Sue’s Cafe” curving above it in a tall, hand-lettered style. “Food” and “Drinks” sit either side. White on a black circle, it looks like a chalkboard sign and works at any size.
- Detailed lighthouse illustration
- Hand-lettered name in Amatic SC
- Works as a round badge or on its own
Black, White
and Nothing Fussy.
We kept the palette to chalkboard black, chalk white and a slate grey. Amatic SC handles the name and menu headings, and Montserrat keeps the menu items clear and easy to read. A small set of rules means every new sign or menu matches the last.
- Three-colour chalkboard palette
- Amatic SC for headings, Montserrat for detail
- Simple enough to reuse on anything new
Signs That
Match the Menus.
The round lighthouse badge was drawn up as a sign in its own right. We also designed smaller signs in the same style, such as a “Staff Only” door sign, so even the practical bits feel part of the brand. Everything was supplied as print-ready artwork.
- Round logo sign
- Staff Only door sign in the same style
- Print-ready files for the sign maker
Easy to Read
From the Queue.
We designed a set of tall menu boards for hot food, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches and extras, drinks, ice creams and “quality food”. Each board has a big hand-lettered heading, a clean list with prices lined up on the right, and a boxed offer where it helps, like chips or doubling up your burger.
- Five boards covering the whole menu
- Prices aligned so they are quick to scan
- Boxed callouts for offers and drinks
- Lighthouse and ice cream drawings to finish
We recently worked with Northern for a full rebranding of Sue’s Café, including new signage, menu designs, and a fresh logo. The results were fantastic! Northern perfectly captured the welcoming, seaside vibe we wanted, and their attention to detail was top-notch. The new logo, featuring a charming lighthouse, instantly reflects our coastal roots and has been a hit with our customers.
Sue’s Café
A new logo, signage and menu boards with one seaside look.
Running a café or restaurant that needs a refresh?
Screenshots
& Photography
Logo concepts, final logo, brand board, signage and menu artwork shown were designed by Northern Digital for Sue’s Café. Artwork is shown as designed, not as photographed in place. Presented with permission to demonstrate capability.
More from the Northern portfolio.
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