Pacific Catch case study: Restaurant branding & hospitality brand strategy

Pacific Catch patio design by Mystery Brands

Mystery Brands collaborated with Pacific Catch, an established West Coast seafood restaurant group, to clarify brand positioning and create a cohesive restaurant branding system for national expansion. A conceptual development exploring how to align hospitality brand strategy, brand identity design, menu design, and a scalable interior design concept so the guest experience will match the brand promise: a gentle “island escape” that invites discovery.

Brief: Clarifying brand positioning for a restaurant group

Pacific Catch engaged us to:
• Simplify and sharpen a complex brand positioning that made messaging hard to prioritize.
• Create a one-page Brand Facets™ summary and messaging hierarchy that differentiates the brand and is actionable for executives, operators, and front-of-house.
• Explore a conceptual evolution of the restaurant brand identity design, menu design, and interior design concept to align with the updated positioning and support multi-market growth.

Context: Over 21 years the menu evolved beautifully - fresh, clean Pacific‑Rim flavors, environmentally and socially conscious. The branding started to lag a little behind: architecturally sound but predictable and uniform - strong on operations, light on emotion. Result: a widening gap between what guests tasted and what they felt. A more competitive market demands a distinctive, shareable hospitality brand experience.

Pacific Catch lounge bar with custom fabrics, furniture and interior design by Mystery Brands.

Strategy: From consistency to coherence in hospitality branding

Make the story simple. Make the feeling unmistakable.
We reduced the positioning to a single, practical tool—Brand Facets™—capturing purpose, promise, proof, personality, and priorities so leadership and front‑line teams could steer with the same compass.

• Emotional promise: a breezy, coastal “deep‑breath” island escape—vacation energy without the flight.
• Proofs: clean, fresh flavors; environmentally & socially conscious sourcing; breezy, welcoming service (Aloha spirit).
• North star: align story, space, and plate so guests feel relaxed, curious, ready to explore the menu.

Guiding principle: prioritize coherence (one story told everywhere) over mere uniformity. This would be an evolution—keeping what’s beloved, sharpening what’s blurry—rather than a cosmetic refresh.

Pacific Catch restaurant interior design by Mystery Brands.

Creative: Brand identity, menu design & interior design concept

Conceptual Identity system (restaurant brand identity design):
We evolved the mark into a flexible, modern system using a modular triangle language—a visual expression of lōkahi (harmony between people, land, and spirit). It scales from signage to social and reads premium without cliché.

Menus & messaging (menu design):
Clear wayfinding and hierarchy deliver a breezy Hawaiian feel. Tactile materials and tone of voice cue freshness, ease, and discovery—extending the hospitality brand strategy to the table.

Interior design concept:
A calm, light‑filled palette and natural textures; hand‑drawn patternwork echoing the triangle language. Custom fabrics, tile motifs, and furniture detailing stitch the identity into the physical space. The kit‑of‑parts is scalable across footprints, conceived for multi‑unit operations.

Merch, uniforms, collateral:
A concise brand wardrobe carries the story beyond the dining room.

Design principle: we don’t decorate the brand onto the space—we let the brand breathe through the space.

A light sprinkle of this conceptual interior evolution has debuted in Pacific Catch Santa Monica; a full test site will showcase the complete approach.

Pacific Catch projecting sign design by Mystery Brands

Pacific Catch menu design by Mystery Brands

Impact: A scalable restaurant branding system for expansion

• Clarity & alignment: leaders and teams use the Brand Facets™ one‑pager to brief, decide, and train.
• Emotional consistency: guests experience the same island escape from web to host stand to dessert.
• Distinctiveness: a recognizable design language (triangles / lōkahi) that is premium, contemporary. flexible, and protectable.
• Scalability: a coherent kit‑of‑parts supporting national roll‑out without losing authenticity.

Pacific Catch t-shirts/merchandise and uniforms design by Mystery Brands

What we do

• Brand positioning: Brand Facets™ one‑pager + messaging hierarchy
• Conceptual Restaurant brand identity design: logo suite, typography, color, patterns
• Menu design: architecture, materials, tone of voice
• Interior design concept: zoning, palette, finishes, custom patterns & furniture
• Signage & environmental graphics
• Uniforms, merchandise, and collateral
• Digital look & feel guidance