The Brief
Cook’s Burger Bar is the latest concept from Against the Grain Restaurants, a hospitality group that knows how to build restaurants people love. Since opening in Williamsburg, VA, in 2024, Cook’s has become a local staple with chef-driven food, genuinely friendly service, and a blast of nostalgic familiarity that keeps guests coming back.
As they prepared to open a second location, the Cook’s team came to MRC to elevate the brand and lay the groundwork for growth. The existing logo had the right spirit but could not do the work they needed it to. It was too horizontal for digital, too complicated for signage, and did not reflect the simplicity of what they were actually serving. Internally, they knew exactly who Cook’s was. The brand just could not say it yet.
The Work
Through discovery, we landed on a brand ethos that captured everything Cook’s is: cheerfully playful with a little grit. A place where foodies, families, and nostalgia fans could come together for a top-notch experience, and a brand system that could carry that personality to location two and beyond.
The result is a brand that feels timeless and fresh. A handcrafted wordmark built for every application, from storefront signage to a to-go bag. Custom mascot illustrations that give the brand a personality as welcoming as the restaurant itself. A typography system chosen specifically for versatility, performing in all caps and standard case, accounting for punctuation and numbers, and staying legible at every size. And a complete brand identity system that gives Against the Grain the foundation to scale Cook’s confidently.
The MRC crew just *gets* it. They are friendly, professional, creative and pay great attention to detail. We brought them our homegrown branding for Cook's Burger Bar, and they elevated it and sharpened it, all while staying true to our goals, spirit and personality. We look forward to our upcoming brand re-launch, business expansion, and moving forward with a cohesive creative vision!
