8 Great Coffee Shop Logos (+ Branding Tips)
By Kaejon Apr 23, 2018
When you go to a local coffee shop to grab your morning latte, it’s easy to miss the amount of attention paid to branding, marketing, and customer experience.
Behind that cup of coffee is often an array of perfectly orchestrated design decisions, from logo creation to packaging to interiors.
In this roundup, we look at eight coffee shop logos, plus branding ideas that any business can use to build community and customer loyalty.
1. Choose a symbol that looks awesome across applications.
The distinctive triangle symbol in Arvo Coffee‘s logo enables flexibility when branding packages, merchandise, and third-party products.
As a business owner, branding everything from your equipment to the tools you sell your customers increases your brand’s identity (and creates other sources of revenue).
2. Incorporate brand colors throughout the customer experience.
Jimmy’s Coffee has its branding game down — even the door matches the company’s primary brand color! The deep contrast of bright yellow with the black signage (plus mood lighting) speaks to the laid-back, hipster environment.
Pay attention to the atmosphere of your shop, office, or storefront — it’s key to attracting your target clientele before you even deliver the goods.
3. Ensure your packaging is eye-catching (in an “I-want-that” way)
If you’re selling a product, your packaging is equivalent to gift wrap. Whether it’s a takeout drink or an ethically made bra, make your packaging as enticing as the product itself.
Pilot Coffee Roasters aces this — the company’s coffee cups, bags, and carafes are pieces of geometric art, sometimes with the addition of a simple wordmark. It’s so aesthetically pleasing, you can’t help but take notice.
4. Embrace co-branding and partnerships.
When starting a business, consider potential partnerships and strategic alliances that’ll create new opportunities for your company. Diversification can also make your brand more memorable.
Boxcar Social is a coffee shop and event space that also offers barista classes and has expanded into the whiskey market. The owners are able to combine their logo and brand with other companies, as they did in this social post for a beer-related event.
5. Make your logo special, adaptable, and Instagrammable.
Before anyone experiences your product or service, they assess appearance. Quantum Coffee’s logo is striking — the strong symbol against the black backdrop stands out in bright settings and blends with different color combinations.
You need only glance at the company’s Instagram feed to see how they use the logo across stores, products, and other branded applications. We love the company’s lit-up signage, which draws attention in the dark.
6. Match your coffee shop logo to your clientele.
Dineen Coffee does an excellent job of understanding the aesthetic of their clientele — its logo and shop is classic and sophisticated.
Located in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, the gold foil logo matches the luxurious tastes of the neighborhood. Because it’s business-meeting-central, a logo on the floor extends a warm welcome and lends to the upscale vibe (we also love the gold-and-turquoise color combo).
7. Wow customers with creative branding.
The staff at De Mello Palheta are masters of blending their coffee shop logo into every aspect of their business — including cinnamon cortados!
Consider how you can apply your logo in different settings — nothing is off limits. Being innovative about how you attract people to your brand and, more importantly, doing it authentically, should be at the heart of your business.
8. Show off your roots and values.
Hale Coffee‘s signature logo features prominently on T-shirts for staff and customers alike. They’ve even gone so far as to create an Arabic version of their logo, which is where the company name is derived from.
Translating your logo and brand into a broader message of your vision and values is the best way to build a community, whether in person or online. Don’t forget to use your heart and your mind!
p.s. Designing a logo for a coffee shop or food-related venture? Check out our industry page for inspiration!