Bienvenuti a

Creating the authentic Italian experience of Rome’s fashion and lifestyle.

POMODORO

SHANGHAI

Project

Branding of an Italian Restaurant

Location

Shanghai, China

When we created Pomodoro, we weren’t just opening another Italian restaurant but bringing Rome’s lifestyle to the table.

From bold flavors to effortless elegance, every dish reflects the city’s incomparable sense of style and Dolce Vita. Think coffee in a sunlit piazza, a crisp wine over lunch, or indulgent pasta by the coastline.

Salute & buon appetito!

Strategy & Brand Definition

Interior Design Integration

Visual Identity

Menu Design

Restaurant Applications

How it all started:

Not holding back on flavors or emotions.

Just like the fashion, Italian dishes are colorful and confident, reflecting the vibrancy of the culture.

Giving a feel for Roman life

Starting from all the little moments that make anything feel truly "Rome"

Like in Rome, every moment is a reason to look good and enjoy life.

Cruising the streets on a Vespa in your scarf and sunglasses, just to stop for a coffee with the morning news.

Meeting friends for a long lunch with crisp Italian wines.

Catching a Martini with antipasti for a golden sunset or a new outfit for dinner before heading to the theatre.

Or perhaps, it’s just the indulgent pasta during your weekend getaway to the Roman coastline.

Developing the space to tell the Brand Story

Maximal like the buoyant city, with every detail built layer by layer

From Concept Moodboard

To Final Result

Developing photography to tell the Brand Story

With so many new tools available, beautiful editorial content is with reach of businesses other than multinational. We saved the expense of custom photoshoots using ai to generate high quality, fresh, and bespoke editorial like imagery to show every aspect of Rome words can't convey.

And balance it our with handmade, unique features

Pomodoro had to have its own custom made Mosaic.
Does it get any more Italian than that?

And finally, bringing a bit of the Roman streets vibe into the interior

The restaurant layout offers this rare inside-outside feel, where the sitting room feels like a back street terrace in the Italian Capital. Naturally, it needed to typical street signs?

Building a brand is like growing and apple, everything else comes before the fruit.

Pomodoro is an entire vibe,
how can a logo convey it all?

It took a lot of consideration, to every detail.

And seeding through the restaurant applications...

Bilingual photo menu

The challenge of designing picture menus in China!

When designing an image based menu there are a number of things to take into consideration. There isn’t much goodness to get inspired from. Shanghai in particular is a fairly unique target market for menu design. Pictures need to look good, but great photos with nice backgrounds make for awful menus text backdrops! Having a photo of every dish is a nightmare too, as everything will be small and looking like one of those laminated menus on the counter at KFC or Yong He Da Wang!

The key is to have the right balance of images, simple backgrounds that allow you to adjust the composition and add the content. Bearing in mind of course, that in Shanghai you’ll have double the amount of content, as it needs to be bilingual. Additionally local consumers like to see English first, as it builds trust that this is an international brand and chef – which it is.

Finish it off with some textured background and illustration to tie it all together with the brand story, and here we have it!

And last but not least...

Our very own Pomodoro custom plates

To finish with a handicraft touch is always appreciated. We made sure to take care of the design and sourcing of most pieces too. Produced in high quantity, they come cheaper than you’d think.

and custom Rubber coaster

Besides assisting the team with marketing collaterals, our role also includes the styling and presentation of products served to guests, then all wrapped up in brand training and photography guides.

Lastly, brand guidelines and guardianship

No one-fit all SOPs here, only pure, highly drinkable, brand juices.

And when it was all done, it was time for a slice!

Feel like a getaway to Roma but closer to Asia? Go to check it out in Shanghai!

Would you like the Thread team to create a unique vibe for your brand, like a home away from home, that all the locals will come to love and cherish too?

Get in touch with us, chance are, we’ll get really inspired how to make it come to life