PIER HOUSE
Pier House is a beachside restaurant and cocktail bar in Venice Beach, featuring a variety of classic seafood dishes, East Coast-inspired seafood rolls, porch-pounding cocktails, and a raw bar with a fantastic selection of freshly shucked oysters.
Industry
Restaurant
Service
Brand Identity Art Direction Packaging
Challenge
Pier House, originally launched as "The Pier House," offered upscale fine dining in a Bohemian-style beach neighborhood. The brand identity didn’t reflect the casual coastal energy of its Venice Beach surroundings.
Solution
To align the brand with its environment and target audience, the restaurant was rebranded under the simplified name Pier House. A relaxed, yet sophisticated visual identity was created, featuring a modern logotype with a floating sun emblem—an homage to the venue’s beachside location and sunset vibe.
Deliverables
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Brand positioning & attributes
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Logo design & visual identity
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Brand color palette & typography
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Menu & coaster design
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Iconography & specialty signage
Impact
The rebrand modernized the restaurant's image while increasing foot traffic and improving brand recognition within the local community, helping Pier House establish itself as a Venice Beach staple for brunch, cocktails, and nightlife.
Metrics & Results
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+37% increase in foot traffic within the first 3 months of relaunch
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25% lift in weekend brunch reservations after menu redesign
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31% improvement in social engagement after the rebrand rollout (based on likes, shares, and tags across Instagram and Yelp)
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Recognition as a Top 10 Venice Beach Restaurant by a local lifestyle publication within 6 months
REBRANDING
Pier House, originally branded as The Pier House, launched as a fine dining destination in Venice Beach. While the restaurant offered an elevated culinary experience, its formal identity felt misaligned with the laid-back, eclectic spirit of the surrounding Bohemian neighborhood. To better resonate with its audience and environment, I led a strategic rebrand that began with a name simplification—removing the article "The" to create a more modern, approachable identity: Pier House. From there, I developed a new visual direction anchored by a versatile and relaxed logo, featuring a floating sun motif to evoke the easygoing coastal energy and natural beauty of the restaurant's beachfront location. The logomark, paired with a warm, organic color palette and clean, contemporary typography, conveyed a sense of both refined simplicity and casual charm.
SPECIALTY SIGNS
The original outdoor signage for The Pier House was understated to a fault—featuring a small, easily overlooked logo subtly placed on the side of a plain white awning. As a result, the restaurant lacked curb appeal and visibility, blending into its surroundings rather than standing out in the lively and highly trafficked Venice Beach area. As part of the comprehensive rebrand, I redesigned the exterior signage to reflect the new identity and ensure the restaurant was unmistakably seen and recognized. The primary storefront sign now boldly features the Pier House name in large, clean typography, prominently mounted over a façade of dark wooden shingles. This material contrast not only gives the venue a warm, coastal-modern aesthetic but also significantly improves visibility from both the street side and beach path—a vital enhancement for foot traffic. In addition, a corner sign was strategically designed and installed to capture the attention of those traveling southbound on Venice Boulevard, expanding visibility from multiple approaches. Both signs are illuminated in the evening with discreet lighting elements to maintain ambiance while ensuring the brand presence remains strong well after sunset—supporting Pier House's identity as both a daytime and nighttime destination.
PRINT & PACKAGING
As part of the cohesive rebrand for Pier House, A thoughtfully crafted coaster design and menu layout was laid out to seamlessly complement the newly renovated interior space. The coasters feature a minimalist yet visually engaging design using the brand’s coastal-inspired color palette—a mix of sun-washed neutrals, oceanic blues, and warm sunset tones. These hues not only reinforce the relaxed, seaside aesthetic but also echo the natural textures and tones found in the restaurant’s updated interior: reclaimed wood, rattan accents, and brushed brass fixtures. The menu layout was carefully considered to balance functionality with design elegance. Type hierarchy and white space were optimized for readability while incorporating subtle brand elements, such as the signature floating sun icon and accent color blocks, to provide visual interest without distraction. Printed on textured, uncoated stock to evoke an artisanal feel, the menus—along with the coasters—serve as tactile extensions of the brand, creating a consistent guest experience that ties together the atmosphere, cuisine, and visual identity. These small but impactful touchpoints helped elevate Pier House from a formerly incongruent dining space to a polished, approachable destination that feels intentionally designed at every level.
