Brand Development. Creative Direction. Naming. Identity. Print Design. Signage

Catalogue House Provisions is a food hall, cafe, and cocktail bar located inside the historic Montgomery Ward warehouse building in Chicago. As the social hub of the building and neighborhood, our goal was to create a family of cheerful, vibrant, welcoming brands that relate to one another : Monty’s Cafe & Bar, Leaflet Meditteranean Bowls, Diana’s Smash Burgers, and Rosehill Pizza – Subs.

Aspects of the branding, such as the naming and typefaces, draw inspiration from the story behind the well known mail-order catalog giant. The word “Catalogue” refers both to the original business, and to the abundant collection of food and drink options within the hall. “House” harkens far back to the idea of an alehouse and the warm feeling of being in a home. A nickname of Montgomery, Monty’s embodies the casual chill vibe of the cafe and bar. Diana’s is named after the statue on top of the building; Ward’s symbol ‘The Spirit of Progress’, fashioned after Diana, the goddess of the hunt. Leaflet is a printed sheet of paper, sometimes folded, containing information or advertising and usually distributed free - like the catalogues were. Lastly, Rosehill is the name of the cemetary where Montgomery Ward is buried. 

The typefaces used throughout the parent Brand and Sub-Brands are a combination of old and new, bringing a bit of history into modern day. Many of the typefaces are inspired by the fonts used in the original Montgomery Ward catalogues from the early 20th century.