Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
A new menu design system for a chain of BBQ restaurants leads to greater sales and a change in brand perception.
CLIENT
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
SCOPE
Positioning & Messaging
Creative Direction
Menu Design & Strategy
YEAR
2015 - 2017
The Ask
The team behind Brother Jimmy’s BBQ came to us with a unique challenge.
Sales were great. Customers loved their fun-filled, energetic environments and always appreciated the quality of the food and service they received, often commenting that it well-exceeded their expectations.
The problem was that despite their internal commitment to serving some of the best BBQ possible, they were primarily seen as a place to hang with friends and get drinks — it was rarely seen as a food destination.
The Work
Our research led us to the conclusion that the fault laid primarily in the menu they had been using for years.
We were able to identify many problems and areas for menu improvement:
It was jam-packed to the point of being illegible — with little visual hierarchy it was hard for guests to know where to look first
The half food / half drinks did not put enough emphasis on the food
The single plastic card, while durable, felt cold and corporate
The menu didn’t speak to authentic, hand-made BBQ
Working with the Brother Jimmy’s team, we realized that while perennial food items were consistent across locations, the drink selection was more customized.
This allowed us to create a system where the food items were presented in an outer shell with the drink insert nested inside. Hand-drawn category heads helped guide guests’ decision making, an increase in breathing room improved legibility, and the overall tone was in-line with a southern BBQ joint.
The Results
Where Brother Jimmy’s had been seen a raucous bar that served some some “tasty, satisfying grub” they could finally, proudly say that they were a legit BBQ restaurant that, by the way, had an awesome bar program.
A simple shift in brand perception with high returns for this restaurant chain:
11% increase in check averages
18% increase in food sales
