Real Estate & Retail / Brand Identity
Graphic Design | Photography | Logo Design | Environmental Design | Signage
OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVE:
CF Sherway Gardens, located in the west end of Toronto, recently underwent a significant redevelopment, including the relocation and reimagining of its dining hall experience. The original food court, cleverly named Gourmet Fair, was redeveloped and moved to a new purpose-built expansion, now called Gourmet Fare. The challenge was to create a contemporary brand identity that pays homage to the original name while elevating the dining experience to match the centre's high-end atmosphere.
DESIGN SOLUTION:
As CF's in-house creative lead, the task was to create a brand identity and wordmark for Gourmet Fare that would be easily recognizable and visually appealing to shoppers. The chosen wordmark, selected from over 30 variations, is an elegant and inviting visual solution that is applied across signage, interior and exterior, digital directories, and tableware. The brand identity serves as a beacon on the mall's exterior facade, drawing shoppers to the newly redeveloped dining hall.
The introduction of branded scullery items, such as food trays, plating, and cups, further enhances the dining experience and reinforces the Gourmet Fare brand identity. Post-opening, CF Sherway Gardens recorded a significant increase in mall traffic and revenue from food retailers in the new space, demonstrating the success of the project in elevating the dining experience and increasing shopper traffic.
Gourmet Fare dining hall, with new signage at entries and triple-height ceilings, creating an airy dining experience.
Gourmet Fair (previous location and design of food court)
Interior of Gourmet Fare, the new dining hall
IMPACT:
The Gourmet Fare brand identity project at CF Sherway Gardens has not only redefined the dining experience at the centre but has also set a precedent for other centres across Cadillac Fairview's portfolio. By replacing the distinct food court with a contemporary and inviting dining hall, Gourmet Fare has become a new, yet familiar meeting place for the local community, reinforcing CF Sherway Gardens as a premier shopping destination in Toronto.
Gourmet Fare exterior entrance and signage wall
Gourmet Fare exterior façade at night
RESULTS:
The Gourmet Fare brand identity project exemplifies CF's commitment to creating memorable and elevated experiences for shoppers across its portfolio. By reimagining the dining hall experience at CF Sherway Gardens with a contemporary brand identity, Gourmet Fare has successfully elevated the centre's overall atmosphere and increased shopper traffic and revenue. The project's success has paved the way for similar initiatives at other Cadillac Fairview properties, further enhancing the dining experiences and elevating the overall retail experience for shoppers.
Post-opening, the impact of the new brand identity was significant. CF Sherway Gardens recorded a substantial increase in mall traffic, accompanied by higher revenue from food retailers located in the new dining hall. Additionally, there was a notable improvement in customer conversion rates for every client. This project's success was so compelling that other CF shopping centers within the portfolio started requesting unique brand identities for their food halls, with the aim of enhancing shopper traffic and elevating the overall dining experience.
