Frank by Helms Workshop

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CLIENT

Frank is an Austin, TX, mecca for bacon-lovers, beer-guzzlers, and encased-meat enthusiasts. Located in the Warehouse District, the restaurant is surrounded by a diverse audience of downtown dwellers and professionals working in fields ranging from high finance and politics to blue-collar delivery and the service industry.

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BRIEF

Start-up restaurants need every advantage available to succeed. The client looked to us for help in appealing to a broad audience through a bold and memorable identity. The challenge was to be accessible to a diverse group, to create buzz and attention, and to reflect the owners’ spirit, enthusiasm, and passion for what they do and the produce they deliver.

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APPROACH

I worked collaboratively with the team of owners to build a “third place” with a goal of making people feel like kids again — even for just a few moments. These are hot dogs, after all! Through that focus, we’ve built a restaurant that is universally attractive to a diverse range of patrons, from tattooed hipsters to senators, local celebs, and blue-collar workers hungry for a dog. In sharing what we love, we’ve managed not just to create a celebration of food but also to build a culture and community. And folks have taken notice— from Food and Wine and Southern Living to TLC and the Discovery Channel.

Workshop’s branding is a huge factor in our success as a business. Christian really listened to our goals and delivered work that was way beyond what we imagined possible. It’s such a striking, joyful expression of what we offer the community and love to do. TV and magazines love to feature Frank, and I meet guests daily who come in off the street just because of the design of the place. We constantly have people taking pictures inside and out. The servers are asked so often about who did the work, we’ve made it a page in our training manual! — Jenn Northcutt, co-owner of Frank