Creative Office of
JOSHUA GAJOWNIK
Concept by me, photo by Kait Goalen
Poole's Diner is a Raleigh staple and national treasure. To celebrate their 10th anniversary it felt right to elevate an already iconic dish–their legendary macaroni au gratin–with equally iconic birthday candles. A small insignia using the existing Poole's oval logo as the zero in "10 Years” marked the celebration.
Fueled by a wood fired grill, Christensen’s Death & Taxes identity references four symbols: fire representing technique; an hourglass for time; a flourish inspired by the bank vault-cum-wine cellar; and a cleaver for the myriad meats on the menu. The visual system is applied in thermographic ink, embroidered satin on canvas, and burnished in gold leaf.
AC’s subterranean drinking den–but let's not say speak-easy–lays just beneath Beasley’s Chicken + Honey. Gold foil on pewter paper, buzzing neon, and intricate menu illustrations express Fox Liquor Bar’s focus on the details, all the way down to the ice in your drink.
Poole’side Pies sits next to Ashley’s iconic Diner but with a presence all its own. The brand identity unapologetically runs with the name’s double entendre indulging in pizza diving neon and pie life preservers because sometimes a pizza really does save the day.
Joule was chef Christensen’s all-day coffee joint but it was of course much more with lunch, brunch, and cocktails. Its name and identity were influenced by the scientific unit, joule, which is the mechanical equivalent of heat. The visual identity projected the work and care that goes into each cup of coffee reimagining icons from James Joule's experiments.
Beasley’s Chicken + Honey is AC’s eponymous house of chicken. Sitting on a previously abandoned corner of downtown Raleigh in what was once a Piggly Wiggly, Beasley’s now slings the most perfect chicken and sides in the city. The wordmark references wood-cut letterpress type and is sign painted around the corner.
Home to Ashley Christensen Events and comprising two full stories, a wine cellar, a rooftop patio, and demo kitchen, Bridge Club is a premier event loft in Raleigh. The wordmark is custom drawn, hinting at Bridge Club’s upper floors location, just above Death & Taxes.