Ruben's restaurant

Branding | Advertising | Illustration

Introduction

In the Filipino culture, mealtime is also time for kapamilya – to belong and gather as a family – with whoever you choose as family. For fifteen years and counting, this has been at the heart of Ruben’s Restaurant.

Behind this operation, Ruben is a self-made businessman and passionate cook, with humble values rooted in family and the love of his home country. His goal: ensure his customers leave the restaurant smiling, feeling at home with a quality taste of the Philippines in hand.

The Process & Design

In this project, I used Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Figma to establish the brand identity Ruben was lacking, designing a logo, illustrations, a mock-up stationery set, takeout packaging, and a promotional campaign with ads and landing page.

I wanted Ruben’s visual brand to ultimately reflect the fun, lively Filipino culture, his jolly welcoming character, and his tireless work ethic that built the business from the ground up.

For the logo, I featured his name in the centre of a yellow circle interpreted as a Philippine sun or a traditional bamboo tray for food known as the bilao. To make it uniquely Ruben however, I incorporated his own handwriting of his name, finishing it with a brush stroke to give off a personally handcrafted look.

This style carried on throughout the project, including the illustrations of elements related to dining (utensils), the Philippines (sun), and the ingredients used in Ruben’s dishes.

Representing the tropical islands and seas that sustained generations of Filipinos, I selected an analogous colour palette of yellow, green, and blue. Yellow, which is often attributed to food, also evokes Ruben's warm personality, green simultaneously represents the fresh ingredients and produce in his dishes, and blue for the trust that was established between the business and community for years.

Ruben is a sincere example of what it means to face it all, stand tall, and do things your way. Witnessing this firsthand while designing his brand was a privilege, and to reflect his journey while inviting others into the Filipino community through food made for a meaningful project.