Quick service, reframed.

Context

Nyla House built its early following on the momentum of private events: buzzy, one-off moments that got attention but didn't translate into loyalty. The food & space hadn't kept up with the hype, and the branding didn't reflect the IRL experience. The brief was to shift the brand's center of gravity: away from relying on those moments and toward the culinary craft and daily experience that could sustain it.

Role

As Fractional Creative Director, I led an end-to-end rebrand, translating the founder's vision into a cohesive brand world and brand system, which was applied across digital, social, in-store and experiential touch points. I reviewed and edited deliverables across these channels to ensure consistency, while personally directing and producing photography including the new staff uniform shoot through a collaboration with Cookman Chefwear.

Brand System

The priority was building an identity that put craft and consistency at the forefront. I developed the brand system around the classic Americana deli aesthetic color palette, saturating the colors to make it fresh and vibrant enough to be extended across packaging, signage, social and the in-store environment.

The editorial, direct-flash photography elevated a familiar deli concept into something more premium, lingering on texture and ingredient detail. I directed and produced the photography myself, creating visuals that highlighted the thoughtfulness behind the brand experience.

Building on the visual rebrand, I helped shape the brand's cultural footprint, DJing at brand events to create an atmosphere that mirrored the visual identity.

Campaign: Meet the Staff - Cookman Chefwear Collaboration

Concept, art direction and photography repositioned the quick service restaurant as a lifestyle brand through its new staff uniforms, street style brought to chefwear, shot in muted, moody tones with grainy, film-like texture. The campaign spanned solo portraits of the founder, action shots of staff mid-shift and group shots of the team, all unified by one visual language to show how the chefwear holds up to a day in the life at The Bougie Deli.

Campaign: Spring Sips

To promote the seasonal matcha and iced coffee menu, I led concept, art direction and photography for a campaign built around the energy of spring. The visuals focused on the process of fresh ingredients being crafted into cool, refreshing drinks: pink hibiscus tea leaves, green matcha power, overflowing foam and fresh coffee beans.

Campaign: The Afties

To launch the evening menu and bar program, I partnered with the social agency's creative direction, working from their mood board and cast to shoot the lighting, photography and posing. I leaned into funky, zoomed-in, quirky frames to make the space feel lively, energetic and somewhere to hangout.

Result

The visual system has since been applied consistently across decals, menus, signage and the website extended by the Nyla House team without needing new art direction, evidence that the system was built with enough flexibility to scale on its own.

Instagram followers grew 13% over 4 months with growth sustained past the initial rebrand launch rather than spiking around a single event, signaling that the brand is building lasting interest beyond one-off moments, in line with the original brief.

Learnings

I started with the Cookman Chefwear campaign then was brought on as the Fractional Creative Director for the brand. My photography in the original shoot was more of a textured, gritty aesthetic, but had I developed the brand system first, I would have been more consistent with the Cookman shoot.