The Bao is a popular downtown restaurant that has been servicing the Lower East Side for over 50 years. Bringing together traditional Chinese recipes and comforting American flavors, The Bao puts a fresh and sophisticated spin on takeout, and its identity needed to reflect this modern sensibility.

To connect the hotspot with a younger audience, I designed a complete identity for the eatery. The visuals were refreshed with bolder graphic patterns, cheeky copy, and colors that departed from the overused treatments of Chinese American restaurants. 

The typographic system for The Bao included a custom all-caps typeface, Mantou, whose letterforms are inspired by the curvilinear forms of the traditional Chinese steamed bun of the same name.

In addition to visual identity and environmental graphics, an ecommerce presence was developed for the brand to launch its line of frozen dumplings and sauces direct to customers around the country.