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july, 2023
industry: food
client: Suyamixbistro
website: suyamixbistro.com
Suya Mixed Bistro
Brand Identity · Evolution · Market Adoption
Background
Suya is more than food in Nigeria it’s culture, memory, and heat. In early 2022, driven purely by passion, I explored this idea through a personal brand identity project inspired by Suya: a beloved West African street food often likened to kebabs, but richer in spice, story, and identity.
The project was an exploration of how food can act as a cultural symbol how Suya represents home, community, and shared experience for Nigerians and West Africans globally.
From Passion Project to Real Brand
In 2024, I was approached by a team building Suya Mixed Bistro, a restaurant located in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. They had discovered my earlier Suya identity exploration and were interested in acquiring and adapting it for their growing business.
Following discussions, the identity was purchased and we began reshaping it moving from a conceptual passion project into a living, commercial brand.
Understanding the Brand
Working closely with Suya Mixed Bistro helped clarify what the brand truly stood for:
Bringing a taste of home to Texas
Celebrating Suya as a cultural bridge between West Africa and the U.S.
Creating a space rooted in self-memory, authenticity, and shared experience
Suya Mixed Bistro isn’t just about food it’s about storytelling through flavor, place, and identity.
Brand Evolution
Suya, as a cultural symbol, has evolved over decades—and the brand needed to reflect that same progression.
Initial Direction
The early visual direction leaned heavily into tradition, referencing the migration and presence of West Africans in the U.S. This approach focused on heritage, nostalgia, and familiarity.
Refined Direction
As the brand matured, we evolved the system to feel more contemporary and adaptable:
Updated illustration styles
Introduction of a secondary typeface (Sans Serif Pro) to balance tradition with clarity and modernity
A more flexible visual system that could scale across digital, print, and in-store experiences
This evolution allowed the brand to feel rooted without feeling dated.
Campaign & Cultural Expression
To further express the brand’s identity, we introduced:
A mascot to humanize the brand and drive engagement
The AfroTex campaign, celebrating the intersection of African culture and Texan energy
This helped position Suya Mix Bistro not just as a restaurant, but as a cultural experience.
Early Campaign Test
As part of the initial rollout, we tested a lifestyle photoshoot featuring models eating Suya to support an early campaign direction.
While the imagery was visually appealing, it leaned too close to a fashion-style aesthetic and didn’t fully capture the everyday, communal experience that defines Suya Mixed Bistro.
This test helped clarify the brand’s visual direction and informed later decisions to move toward a more grounded, culture-first expression of the brand.
Present State
Today, Suya Mixed Bistro continues to evolve both visually and experientially. The brand balances:
Cultural authenticity
Modern hospitality design
A growing audience beyond the African diaspora
This case study reflects not just a logo, but a living brand—one that has grown from concept to commerce, adapting as the business and its audience evolve.
