SMOKE & DONUTS
Smoke & Donuts® is nationally recognized with accolades such as—USA Today’s Top 10 Best BBQ Restaurants in Orlando and listed in “The 13 Hottest Restaurants in Orlando Right Now” by Eater.
When I first met Ian—a chef and graduate of the CIA in NY—and his wife Juliana, they had a Smoke & Donuts® food truck, one that quickly became popular around town. They asked if I could design a logo for their new endeavor, and after talking to them for a few minutes, I was in love with the idea. I had a lot of questions, and they had a lot of answers—answers that went deep into their story and their process. Juliana told me about her love for donuts. Ian explained his interest in BBQ, his research, the science behind it, and the feeling of starting with raw, insignificant meat, like brisket, and turning it into the most delicious meal. His passion was evident. He loved cuisine the way I loved design.
We created a brand identity; which included logos, color palette, typefaces, icons, and patterns. Over the years we’ve designed countless printed and digital menus to support their continued growth. We even built a custom truck menu framed in wood, cut and deliciously smoked by us, in-house. We’ve translated the brand into the restaurant’s packaging, including their BBQ sauces, to-go boxes, and tray liners, as well as promotions, both printed and digital.
As the business moved out of the food truck world and into a couple of brick-and-mortar locations, we had the pleasure spreading the brand to environmental graphics, including murals and signage. We helped transform an abandoned and very dark building into the restaurant’s flagship—a space that feels fresh, friendly, and uniquely Smoke & Donuts®. This location also includes two bars designed to fit both the brand and the original mid-century architecture of the building.
