One of the most anticipated new restaurants in Sydney's dynamic dining scene, The Woods, has opened at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney in The Rocks, with a brand strategy, name and identity developed by Frost*.
With Restaurant Executive Chef Hamish Ingham behind the distinctive wood fired-menu, The Woods is a place where diners can experience 'primitive luxury'. Coined by Frost*, the term stems from a brand positioning identified as 'the present fireplace,' which evokes a place where people can come together for a transformative experience.
Informed by the home-grown produce, its simple preparation and the intimate, convivial interior, The Woods is positioned as a restaurant where not only is food shared, but a connection is made to a collective sense of belonging. The name developed by Frost* references both the wood-fired menu and pure, unadulterated nature which is the heart of the restaurant's ethos.
In visually representing the brand through identity, Frost* created a logo that communicates a coming together, a sharing of food, company and stories. The overlapped letters create both a leaf and a flame motif, which alludes to the menu, the light of a fireplace and the largely timber interior space. The gold leaf in the space created by this intersection produces the natural warm glow of a fireplace and imbues the brand with a premium feel. This elliptical shape also echoes Four Seasons' own leafy logo.
The visual language developed for The Woods brand continues the use of the venn diagram technique, with overlapping circles and utilises textural elements of wood grain, smoke and produce, harking to the restaurant's culinary direction.
"This is our second major project for Four Seasons Hotel Sydney this year and it's been incredibly exciting to be a part of the contemporisation of this iconic hotel's offer," commented. Vince Frost, founder and CEO of Frost*.
"Sydney's dining scene is one of the most vibrant and competitive in the world and brand is just as important for food and beverage businesses as it is for any other commercial enterprise, especially a public facing one. A strategically sound brand is a pivotal piece of the puzzle in creating success."