Appetito
A new chapter in the Glorioso dynasty opens, and we knock it out of the park.
Glorioso’s Appetito operates out of the renovated old historic grocery location at 1020 E. Brady Street. The business is comprised of a catering kitchen, a private event space, and a hands-on cooking school.
This culinary center is dedicated to bringing people together over food and beverage, and discovering the cuisine of Italy.
DISCOVERY
Glorioso’s had been planning to open a culinary center for over ten years. When I joined the team, the old grocery store space was being renovated with the help of Mehmert Store Services, an architectural design firm specializing in food retail markets.
The creative brief was to create a modern version of an Italian culinary space, while retaining a touch of the Glorioso family businesses of the past.
The culinary center was comprised of three parts: the catering kitchen (Cucina), the event space (Eventi), and the hands-on cooking classroom (Scuola). I needed to incorporate those three elements into the corporate identity.
ANALYSIS
What sort of branding can convey the roots of the family business from 1946, while projecting a modern sensibility? I spent a lot of time looking at Italian typography and design from the 40s.
Thank God for Louise Fili.
I was able to incorporate Cucina, Eventi, and Scuola into the logo, conveying a foundation for the implied table that is placed above them.
As far as marketing, I was lucky enough to have some account-based marketing skills. I spent quality time forging relationships with Visit Milwaukee and other media partners.
I also had experience in event programming.
And somehow, I figured out a way to sell events on Shopify and implement a ticket system that could be tracked, which also helped me see customer purchase behavior. This allowed me to create discounts and deals for loyal & repeat customers.
Oh, I almost forgot — we also bought an iPad and configured it so people could register for classes in the grocery store. We created a kiosk near a high traffic endcap that allowed people to browse classes and register.
IMPLEMENTATION
I don’t even know where to start here. How can I summarize hundreds of hours spent creating the identity, brand messaging, marketing systems, and e-commerce event sales, while also assisting in event programming and solidifying partnerships?
How about this:
Within 6 months of opening we were selling out our classes two months in advance
Within 9 months we were turning a profit
We earned over $100,000 in earned media in 2019
We were featured as the place to go for cooking classes by Milwaukee Magazine
We were awarded the Dear MKE award by Visit Milwaukee for our history of attracting national media attention to Milwaukee.
