A logo that looked dated
Busy, hard to reproduce and not a real reflection of the place. Staff described the image as “traditional” or “old”.
Branding & Identity · Digital Marketing
Misión Cotija
A restaurant-bar in Cuautla, Morelos, built on the flavours of Michoacán. Loved by the people who already knew it, and invisible to everyone else.
At a glance
Challenge
One of the biggest restaurants in Cuautla, with a dated logo, no brand rules, a website untouched for 10 years and an events hall nobody knew about.
Approach
A full brand audit of the restaurant's reality, identity, image and communication, plus surveys of customers and staff.
Outcome
A new identity and a complete system built on what guests and staff told us: from the menu and uniforms to a billboard and a website.
What the research found
90%+
of guests wanted photos in the menu
The menu had none
88%
of guests had a phone with internet
Website untouched for 10 years
50%+
chose the restaurant by recommendation
Not by advertising
50%+
of staff never trained on the company's values
Yet all wanted a uniform
01
The restaurant
A family business founded by a cook from Cotija, Michoacán. Known for Michoacán-style carnitas, charcoal-grilled goat, cecina and grilled steaks, it serves families on weekends and business people during the week.
2,800 m²
Property, with a 1,000 m² garden and play area
200
Guests for events in the garden and terrace
37
Employees across kitchen, floor and bar
4
Cities guests come from: Cuautla, Mexico City, Puebla and Cuernavaca
Its mission
“To offer our guests the best food and drinks through legendary service, in a picturesque setting.”
02
The challenge
Loved by the people who already knew it, invisible to everyone else. The brand had grown piece by piece, with no system behind it.
No rules, no consistency
Every piece was designed from scratch, so menus, cards and signs never looked like one brand.
Hidden strengths
The website hadn't been updated in 10 years, the events hall was never promoted, and the mission and values appeared nowhere.
The goal
Build an identity that truly reflects Misión Cotija's quality and tradition, in a system that works across every guest touchpoint and inside the team.
03
Research & discovery
An institutional audit based on Norberto Chaves' brand identity framework, a SWOT analysis and surveys of both guests and staff.
What the restaurant is: its history, spaces, team and services.
What it believes: mission, vision and values.
How guests and staff see it, measured with surveys.
Every piece it puts out, and whether it works.
Guests said
Great food and service, weak communication
- 0guests rated the service as fair or poor
- 90%+wanted photos of the dishes in the menu
- ~50%came from outside Cuautla, mostly Mexico City
- 50%+chose it by recommendation, not advertising
Staff said
Proud of the place, but left out
- 50%+had never been trained on the company's values
- 100%liked the idea of wearing a uniform
- 20–30years old, most of the team
- Mostsaw the image as traditional or old
Key insight
This wasn't just “a new logo”. The restaurant needed a coherent identity system, inside and out: for guests who find it on the road, and for a team that didn't know what the brand stood for.
04
Strategy
Four communication goals, each aimed at a specific audience.
New identity
A logo that projects quality, tradition and Michoacán cooking, and that people remember.
Share its values
Put the mission and values in front of staff and guests, to build pride and trust.
Promote its services
Show the food, the garden and the events hall, and reach new guests.
Train the team
Help waiters, the people guests meet, deliver the service the brand promises.
Who we designed for
- 30–50Families going out on weekends
- 35–50Business people meeting over breakfast or lunch
- On the roadTravellers between Mexico City, Puebla and Cuernavaca
- 25–40Waiters and floor staff
Concept
Quality, tradition, service and Mexican cooking
- Quality
- Tradition
- Service
- Michoacán cooking
- Garden & events
Design criteria
- Warm colours (orange, brown, yellow) balanced with blue and Mexican pink
- Three typefaces: one only for the logo, one for text, a script for short titles
- Real photos of the dishes, so guests can see what they order
- A modular square grid to keep every piece in order
05
From findings to design
Every piece answers something the research showed.
-
We found90%+ of guests wanted photos, and the menu had none.
We designedA new menu and kids' menu with photos of every dish.
-
We foundGuests came from other cities and found the place by passing by.
We designedA billboard and street MUPIs on the main avenues.
-
We found88% were online, but the website was 10 years old.
We designedA new 7-page website and a Facebook presence.
-
We foundThe events hall was never promoted.
We designedMUPIs and web pages that promote events and banquets.
-
We foundMost staff were never trained on the values, and all wanted a uniform.
We designedInduction and training manuals, and branded uniforms.
-
We foundNo rules, so every piece looked different.
We designedAn identity manual, with the grid, colours, clear space and minimum sizes.
06
Deliverables
One identity, carried from the order pad in the kitchen to a billboard by the road.
12,000
Flyers, in 7 designs
6,000
Order pads for the kitchen, grill and cashier
3,000
Business cards
12.9 m
Wide billboard, plus street MUPIs
- Logo redesign
- Identity manual
- Stationery, uniforms and vehicle graphics
- Menu and kids' menu with photos
- Order pads, coasters and napkins
- Induction and training manuals
- Billboard, MUPIs and banners
- Flyers and postcards
- 7-page website and Facebook
