The juicy details
Don’t see your Q below? Give us a call. We’re happy to hear what’s on your mind.
What type of clients do you work with?
Typically these fall into 1 of 3 groups: individuals looking to launch a restaurant or food brand, existing restaurant concepts looking to rebrand or refocus their identity and/or messaging, or operators working in the food hall space. In all cases, we only work on projects where we’ll be in direct communication with the decision maker(s).
Will I be working directly with the principal or other account people?
Your primary contact will be with Principal and Creative Director Douglas Riccardi, who in turn oversees a team of designers. Our hierarchy is very simple and transparent — by allowing your creative visionary to work with our lead creative person, you’ll find that we progress quickly and efficiently.
What type of personality do you work with best?
We are very serious about what we do but never take ourselves too seriously. While we understand that this process for you is crucial, we want it to be fun. We definitely work best with clients who are engaged in this process, who allow us to do what we do best, but who are also able to inspire us to do our best.
For what type of personality is Memo not going to be a fit?
We’re never going to tell a chef how to make Chicken Kiev, so as long as they don’t tell us how to achieve the creative results they’re looking for, we’ll get along great.
What about other hospitality professionals that might be required?
Through our years of experience, our alliance with the New York City Hospitality Group, and colleagues we’ve met teaching restaurant entrepreneurship at the ICC and ICE, we have a very robust network of allied professionals — from architects and culinary consultants to SLA lawyers and HR consultants, to website developers and strategists.
Do you work with start-ups?
We do — and love helping newcomers realize their dreams. We’ve seen so many projects succeed (as well as fail) and can help others get off on the right foot and avoid common pitfalls. However we’re not a startup and therefore our fees cannot be discounted based on where you are in your brand’s life cycle. Your customers will want you to look like any other seasoned operator in your space. We recommend you don’t bet the house on a cheap logo your cousin whipped up.
How are you different from other branding firms?
We’re a design agency that doesn’t focus only on design. We are deeply involved in our clients’ business strategy and do whatever it takes to help them be successful. Sure, it involves great design. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. It’s the marriage of good design and sound business strategy that sets us apart.
Do you have a specific process?
Yup. Every project starts with getting to know you: who you are, why you’re in this space, what you hope to achieve. We measure those insights against your target customers, their needs set, and how you’re speaking to them (or plan to). We create a strategic roadmap that allows us to tell a consistent story across a wide array of touch-points and through creative, unique visual solutions that paint a robust brand landscape for you and your customers. Learn more about our method here.
What if I’ve already done some brand strategy? Do I need to do that again with you?
It’s to be expected that you’ve thought about your project before calling us. In revisiting that process and insights with you, we’re not wasting time or running up billable hours. We are creating a shared language that we both understand, helping you weed out potentially conflicting ideas, and focus the best ideas into a single narrative and creative brief.
Suppose we only want a logo and want to do the rest ourselves?
Except in very rare cases, the answer is that we’re not the right fit for you. Sorry. In helping you succeed, our goal is to create the most perfect, fully-formed expression of who you are. This means being seeing the vision from ideation to fruition.
I already have a logo. Can you work with that?
As long as what you have is in line with your overall vision we can probably work with it. If it’s not, there may be a slight tweak or revision required. We’re not in the business of redoing something that works just to help you spend money. But if we feel what you have is (or will be) a hurdle to your long-term success, you’ll definitely hear from us. Building a house without a solid foundation is penny wise and pound foolish.
How do you price your projects?
We always work on a flat-fee, phase-based design investment. Our pricing is based on the ROI of engaging us, and you’ll reap the benefit of our services for many years. Unfortunately many people contact us late in the game after they’ve already spent most of their budget — we can’t help you there. We also don’t bill hourly.
Why should we choose Memo?
We’re very good at what we do. We play very well with others. We’re advocates for excellent design without being prima-donnas. We know our stuff.
I know I need help, but I can’t afford it right now.
We find that instead of thinking “What’s the least I can invest on this?” the better question would be “What is required for me to reach my target customers?” Once you set your priorities you’ll find a way to allocate funds accordingly. Please don’t hire us if it will put you in financial jeopardy.
How can you help restaurants coming out of the pandemic?
One of the most honest tests of your brand’s inherent value is to imagine what your local community would be like without you. What would customers miss most? What couldn’t they find anywhere else? Where would they turn if you weren’t around? Did they even notice that you were closed? Asking these questions can be tough — but these are precisely the kinds of truths that the pandemic has uncovered. Building on the answers to these questions provides rich fodder for an even deeper connection with your customers going forward.
I’m in! What are the next steps?
Please reach out to schedule an introductory call. We look forward to chatting with you about what’s cooking with you.