Mici Italian, Denver’s family-owned destination for pizza, pasta, salads and more, has rebranded in partnership with Denver-based branding experts Wunder Werkz. The comprehensive brand evolution captures the essence and guest experience of a brand that has served its tight knit community since its inception in 2004.
The first, now completed, phase of the rebranding included the launch of a new logo, new website, and new branded visuals that can be found on in-store materials, digital assets, team uniforms, and more.
The second phase of rebranding includes a completely new store design — from a new color scheme and furniture to updated design elements.
On the timing of the rebrand, CEO Elliot Schiffer says, “With Mici poised for massive growth and expansion with our newly launched National Franchise Program, and stores opening for the first time outside of Colorado, our founder Jeff Miceli and I felt like this was the right time to update the brand aesthetic and bring some of the innovation and modern convenience we are offering guests to their visual experience as well.”
Mici’s Executive Team conducted a nation-wide agency search in 2021 and chose Denver design firm Wunder Werkz based on their experience with other fast-casual brands.
“It was so fun to collaborate with Wunder Werkz to create a new visual language for our brand identity, including collateral, signage and spatial design,” says Kim Miceli, Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand Strategy who led the brand update. “We appreciate their attention to detail in translating our core values, (which include family, all-natural and convenience) into this design system,”
“Our new colors are a modern take on Italian red and green, but more traditional than our original iteration when we opened in 2004. Mici has a whole new look and feel and we can’t wait to showcase these changes at our new Southglenn location, opening this summer. Rest assured, the same family-recipes that we’ve been serving for eighteen years aren’t going anywhere!” adds Miceli.
John Hartman, Wunder Werkz Owner and Founder, says “We started with a deep dive into the Miceli family, their ethos and how they position themselves in the greater community. From there we built a visual design system based on shared values between the brand and their customer base.”
Hartman adds, “We wanted the brand to feel honest, warm and playful and give a sense of a familial connection. The design systems were designed to be flexible and evolutionary so the brand stays fresh and relevant as the brand expands into new markets and builds future brand equity.”
Changes include:
- Name: Now Mici Italian (formerly Mici Handcrafted Italian), the shortened name allows the pizzas and pasta dishes to shine as much as the brand’s signature recipes.
- Logo/Color Scheme: The new color scheme is a fresh modern take on the old logo iteration of the colors of the Italian flag.
- Brand Assets: A graphics system that combines classic Italian art (such as Michelangelo’s statue of David) with everyday items (noodles, forks) found in an Italian restaurant.
- Interior Design: The updated design uses light shades of green and natural-stained maple and ash furniture to lighten the space. New modular menu boards hang on a solid maple lattice to blend into the space.
- Website: New website launching June 2022
- To-go Packaging: All new pizza boxes, drink cups, gelato containers, and to-go bags.
- New pickup stations: Allow customers to grab pickup orders and go in a matter of seconds
In addition to the aesthetic updates made this year, Mici advanced their technological systems to stay up to date and on trend with the fast casual restaurant industry’s advancing customer systems. This includes the installment of software known as Restaurant 365 for tools that help them track speed of service and efficiency. The technology will aim to help all Mici teams carry out their “10/20/30 principle,” where dine-in, pick-up and delivery customers are notified that their food will potentially be ready in ten, twenty or thirty minutes.
Mici has five confirmed new locations opening this year: one in Southglenn, Colorado; two locations in Phoenix, one location in Dallas, and another in the works in Detroit.
MICI ITALIAN LOCATIONS:
Mici Italian has locations in Colorado Springs, Denver, Phoenix, and Dallas–with more locations coming.
