Copper Cock Tavern
Building a hospitality brand from the ground up—and an audience before opening day
Copper Cock Tavern began with a 150-year-old building stripped to four brick walls, a copper rooster statue, a rough logo, and a vision for an elevated dining experience in downtown Fond du Lac. I partnered with owner Vince and interior designer Carol to shape the brand and physical space together, then carried that direction into the identity and launch campaign.
- Role
- Brand strategyIdentity designLaunch marketing lead
- Scope
- Brand developmentEnvironmental collaborationDigital presencePrint collateralMerchandiseSocial mediaEmail
- Partners
- Vince — ownerCarol — interior designer
- Outcome
- A cohesive hospitality brand1,000+ Facebook followers by the soft opening
The challenge
The brand and venue had to take shape at the same time. Decisions ranging from the logo and color palette to interior finishes and opening communications needed to express the same balance of historic character, modern refinement, and warmth. The work also had to build anticipation during construction, before guests could experience the space. Success depended on translating one shared vision across disciplines and giving the community a reason to follow the journey.
My approach
I refined the owner’s initial logo concept, correcting its alignment and typography while exploring a badge that could adapt to uniforms, glassware, merchandise, and marketing materials. The badge became the foundation for an identity built around three brand pillars: high-end, timeless, and warm. I developed the mood board, color palette, typography, and core applications while working with Vince and Carol so the visual brand and interior reinforced one another.
I then translated the identity into a launch system: a single-page website, Facebook presence, monthly email newsletter, and weekly posts featuring construction, team introductions, local history, and menu previews. For the soft opening, I proposed a follower lottery, helped track entries, and paired formal invitations with personal messages to make the experience feel exclusive and welcoming.
The outcome
The completed brand extended consistently across the venue, website, print materials, merchandise, and guest experience. Professional opening photography reflected the same direction established more than a year earlier, showing that early alignment held through construction and execution. The launch campaign grew the Facebook community from zero to more than 1,000 followers by the soft opening, giving the restaurant an engaged prospective audience before its doors opened.
Leadership in practice
- Hands-on strategic leadership
- I defined the direction and designed the identity, website, collateral, and launch communications.
- Brand stewardship and evolution
- I turned an early concept into a coherent system across physical, digital, and guest-facing touchpoints.
- Connecting creativity to organizational results
- I used the construction story to build community interest before opening day.
From strategy to execution
Brand identity
A refined badge and supporting visual system established a flexible identity for digital, physical, and guest-facing applications.
Launch campaign
The identity carried from a pre-opening digital presence into invitations, guest-facing materials, construction storytelling, and the finished venue.
If you’re building or strengthening a brand, process,
or team—I’d love to connect.