Dennis and Mallory Squibb are the rad father-daughter combo behind Squibb Coffee and Wine Bar. This now three-location brand has quickly established itself as a Grand Rapids favorite by delivering carefully curated, perfectly executed, and authentically served food, coffee, and wine.

From the beginning of this project, it was clear that the Squibb crew made a great team. Mallory's culinary creativity and expertise in high-end food is perfectly paired with Dennis' ability to steer projects toward success with precision and attention to detail. Together, they have more than enough of everything required to dominate a super competitive market.

My wife and I started our branding efforts by aiming a charcuterie of questions at the founders, followed by a thorough competitive analysis. For a few weeks, we collected, sorted, organized, and argued over inspirational images before settling on a few narratives and visual directions that we thought could bring the brand to life in an authentic way. We generated hundreds of sketches (later called "Squibbles"). Ironically, the brand mark you see today revealed a primitive version of itself on a napkin that had been collecting coffee rings as we worked. About a ream of paper later, we discovered the logo you see today.

For the logotype, we explored endless fonts and handwritten versions of the catchy family name before selecting a bold, no-nonsense font that we used as a scaffolding for what you see today. Lastly, the color palette, auxiliary design assets, and print materials were pulled together, and the brand took its first breath.