That week I tried to rebrand a coffee shop in Portland and it bombed hard

I took on a local shop called Brew Haven on Division Street. I spent 4 days on a minimalist logo with a hand-drawn coffee bean, gold foil look. The owner loved it, but regulars hated it. They said it was too fancy and didn't feel like their neighborhood spot anymore. Has anyone else pushed a brand too far from the original vibe and lost customers?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan_thomas2d ago

Start by asking yourself if this really matters that much. I mean, it's a coffee shop, not a national brand - people are going to get over a logo change in like a week. The owner probably had too much time on his hands if he let you spend 4 days on a design for a place that's been around for years. Regulars complain about ANY change, even if you just moved the sugar station. Honestly, the bigger issue is probably the coffee quality or the service, not the gold foil bean. Don't let a few grumpy customers make you think you ruined the place.

keith_henderson2d ago

Man, I totally get where you're coming from. It's rough when you pour yourself into something and people react like that, but you're right that regulars just hate any change at all. I've seen it happen with simple stuff like moving the creamer station, people act like the world's ending! It sucks that the owner wasted your time with 4 days of work, but the real lesson here is that small biz owners need to be prepared for the backlash, not put it all on you. Don't let this get you down too much, you clearly cared about doing a good job and that's what matters.