Do you like homemade meatloaf, shakes, awesome baked goods and the musical stylings of the 1920’s?  Well then the recently opened Ted’s Bulletin, a new restaurant concept from the minds behind matchbox, is for you.  We were lucky enough to be able to work with them on their brand, menu and website.

This was an incredibly fun project for us to work on.  It’s not very often that you find a client who’s as open and creative as the matchbox crew.  The concept – a Prohibition era speakeasy with down-home cookin’ – gave us an excellent starting point. The logo, for example, is reminiscent of marks of the era.  While it has been streamlined to a certain extent, it maintains a good amount of the art deco flair that was so prevalent during the period.

For the menu, we opted to create a whole newspaper.  On the inside is the menu itself, but on the front and back we included articles about the origin of the restaurant and fun ads.  There are a few things we really love about this concept.  First off, unlike most menus that start to look dirty and crappy after a few months, these menus gain more character the longer they’re used.  An “aged” looking newspaper only adds to the feel the restaurant is going for.   And when the menus reach the point of no return and must be disposed of, they’re easily recycled.  What’s more, the cheapness of newsprint makes it economical to print new versions every once in awhile, which in turn gives Bulletin the ability to write up new articles, and for us to create new ads.  So what you see in the menu today may be completely different a few months down the road.

The website draws heavily from the interior of the restaurant itself.  On one of our first meetings with the matchbox crew we got a sneak peek at the amazing metalwork they planned on installing in Bulletin – it had come straight from the old Philadelphia Convention Hall – and we knew it had to be part of the site.

Also, if you visit the site, make sure to give the radio a listen.  There’s some great music on it – Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Helen Kane (Betty Boop) along with others.  What’s more, George Savvas, talented voice actor and friend of ripe, made several era-appropriate commercials and spots which we’ve sprinkled throughout the radio’s playlist. Thanks George!  (Give his agent a call if you’re interested in his services!)

So go try out the restaurant!  One of the benefits of having restaurants as clients is that more often than not they’ll feed you.  ripe was invited to the soft opening for family and friends over the weekend, and let us tell ya – that’s some damn good food.