Alpen Rose
Details. Creative direction. Branding. Web. Menus. Social media strategy & design. Interiors.
Role. Designer.
Enter Alpen Rose - a unique steakhouse concept that serves as a refreshing break from the traditional steakhouse stereotypes in downtown Philadelphia. Instead of the cliche meat and potatoes atmosphere, Alpen Rose offers an intimate setting with a cozy pocket bar, delicate chandeliers, and romantic lighting.
We crafted a fictional world centered around a female botanist from the past who travels the globe in search of the elusive ‘Alpen Rose.’
This narrative inspired various details in the restaurant, from a cocktail menu contained in a vintage box with various botanical index cards to backlit bookcases suggesting a studious world traveler with delicate feminine touches. We used multiple logo styles to suggest billheads from exotic places and designed a layered menu system reminiscent of a botanical research collection.
01. Developing the Brand
We crafted a fictional world centered around a female botanist from the past who travels the globe in search of the elusive ‘Alpen Rose.’
This narrative inspired various details in the restaurant, from a cocktail menu contained in a vintage box with various botanical index cards to backlit bookcases suggesting a studious world traveler with delicate feminine touches. We used multiple logo styles to suggest billheads from exotic places and designed a layered menu system reminiscent of a botanical research collection.
“It’s supposed to feel like a departure, like you’re passing through something (a wardrobe, a tornado…) into someplace other. And thresholds are one of those things that Michael Schulson and his design teams have always been very good at.”
- JASON SHEEHAN, PHILLY MAG
02. Creating a Viral Moment
The restaurant was in the final phases of development. Six weeks out from open. The CEO approaches me with a small but mighty problem - there’s absolutely nowhere inside the restaurant for guests to wait for their tables.
After throwing around a few ideas that didn’t quite land, I made a few calls and came up with a crunch time decision that would not only not affect the overall brand/experience, but it would enhance it (and ultimately become what would throw Alpen Rose on the social media viral map) : create a door within a door by cutting out a panel of the existing door, and install a vintage doorbell (that lights up at the hostess desk instead of ringing).
We had already decided to brand the restaurant without the name outside - marking it instead with an elegant bas-relief iron rose - so the speakeasy feel of the new greeting fit the brand. This would solve the problem of guests blindly walking into a restaurant without a vestibule, and would place the power back in the hostesses’ hands. If their table wasn’t ready, they would be directed to the sister restaurant next door to wait at the bar, but if their table was in fact ready, the door would be unlocked and they would be welcomed in. This feature now floods social feeds everywhere, and is a main motivator for guests to come and experience it before their meal.
Alpen Rose is a viral restaurant on Tiktok, not because of the food, but because of this 11th hour decision that ultimately paid off.
To me, food styling & photography is just as important as the actual dish. It captures the essence and nuances of the meal, and transforms taste into enticing visuals. If it’s successful, your mouth will be watering without any taste or smell, and that’s some powerful stuff.
03. Social Strategy + Web
Strategy for social was to tease the opening of the restaurant and gain a following even before open through multi panel instagram spreads that provided “sneak peeks” at the restaurant details - interiors, dishes, drinks. Captions would tease the library interior by featuring excerpts from classic novels and quotes from historical authors that fit the brand. We also wanted to add some graphical elements in to push the storytelling element of the brand through stamps and postcards to start spinning a narrative in the guests’ minds even before stepping foot inside.
For web, we stayed dark, moody, and feminine with a single page scroll, adding to the mystery adventure vibe.
“Most steakhouses are boring. Most are intimidating or uncomfortable, old or pointless. What separates Alpen Rose is that it’s a restaurant first, a steakhouse second, rather than the other way around. And in that little difference — that tiny change in focus — is all the difference in the world.”
JASON SHEEHAN, PHILLY MAG
