The Ask

For its founders, the realization of Urban Hawker — the first Singaporean street food hall in America — was bigger than a business opportunity. It would pay tribute to two of the world’s greatest cultural and epicurean melting pots: Singapore and New York City.

The goal: capture the flavor and energy of Singapore’s famous food hawker centers — while attracting a wide, inclusive audience across midtown Manhattan. 

As stewards of the Urbanspace brand for nearly a decade, Memo came on board to meet a unique challenge: designing a strategic departure from Urbanspace’s existing identity. The new market’s mission required a stand-alone brand with a guest experience unlike anything NYC had previously seen.

Memo’s task was monumental and multidimensional: 

Cultural richness and accessibility showcased through thoughtful storytelling and beautiful, current design solutions — underpinned by rock-solid business strategy while achieving the environmental imperatives from guests to be transported. 

The Work

Success hinged on attracting two different audiences without alienating either: those who knew Singaporean food — and those who’d never tried it. Inclusivity was key.

Brand identity was inspired by Asian streetscapes with neon signage and characters read in multiple directions. We loved the idea of a name and vivid logo with typography that could be horizontal or vertically stacked. 

In addition, we designed a sub-brand identity for The Sling Bar, a Singapore-inspired gin bar. Its neon logo serves as a stunning centerpiece, drawing guests deeper into the market. 

Principal Douglas Riccardi also oversaw environmental design with Urbanspace’s design director, Ryan Stockton. From color palette and materials to wall coverings and signage, our creative direction, strategic design, and collateral guide the entire customer journey. We commissioned a mural by artist Rose Wong which runs the entire length of the interior wall.

To achieve both vendor brand individuality and cohesion, Memo developed a customizable “kit-of-parts” and booth design guidelines — which greatly expedited the build-out process.

We helped each vendor — many of whom were still in Singapore — choose colors, materials, and menu board designs that spoke to their brand. As a result, 17 different vendors’ stories and specialities are showcased in unique booths that come together to form a unified whole. 

The entire experience is “gettable” to guests, but unexpected enough to instill curiosity to explore — and eat!

The Results

Urban Hawker is busy seven days a week — an unprecedented success.

Catering to the diverse crowd we hoped to connect with, local Asian customers of all ages come by for a “taste of home” — and people who work in the area flock in for lunch and dinner daily. 

A steady stream of tourists also stop at Urban Hawker, fueled by ongoing press: The New York Times, Forbes, Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, Thrillist, The New Yorker, Eater NY, The Infatuation, New York Magazine — just to name a few.

For us, the market’s final measure of success harkens back to its original hope: to pay tribute to home in two places — and unite both in one extraordinary experience.

By providing a palpable opportunity for unique storytelling, we’ve enabled vendors to share more than food with a community that’s been craving something fresh, new, and very New York.