SpeakEZ Lounge is a bar and restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For this conceptual rebrand, I wanted to maintain the prohibition-era aesthetic the institution is built on while refining the brand’s image. SpeakEZ is home to a variety of events, while being known for their eclectic food options, robust cocktail menu, and English Premier League fueled brunches, it is also a venue for jazz on Sunday nights, Grand Rapids ‘Local Spins’ and the perfect place for a casual date night. Being known for such an assortment of occasions opens this rebrand up for something approachable, but also modish. The decisions made to bring this identity together were made to pay homage to the era that inspired the establishment while not letting it feel old-fashioned.
The lock and key motif is symbolic of the secrecy that existed amongst speakeasies of prohibition in the United States. Wherever you see the lock, you will find the key.
The ‘SpeakEZ’ wordmark is accompanied by two ‘SEZ’ simplified icons. One for when the logo needs to scale smaller, and another for the soccer specific events that tend to dominate the bars weekend programming. \