Cafe The Town
Community-first coffee branding inspired by local spirit, real people, and the power of personal taste.
Creative Direction
From the start, Cafe The Town wasn’t a typical coffee brand project. It wasn’t about designing for a café menu, bean label, or Instagram feed. It was about capturing the spirit of a man — anh Trí, a machine engineer with a deep love for coffee — and translating that passion into a brand that feels real, local, and full of character.
My biggest challenge was balancing identity and intimacy. The brand had existed for years without a logo, running purely on word of mouth and relationships within the local Saigon coffee scene. So when it came time to formalize that presence, we knew the design couldn’t feel polished to the point of losing its charm — it had to feel like it belonged in the street it came from.
Instead of building around coffee beans or latte art clichés, I built around a persona. “Anh tổ trưởng” became our visual anchor — a symbol of trust, familiarity, and leadership within the neighborhood. This direction gave the brand a sense of storytelling that went far beyond a product. It became a presence: someone you know, someone who knows your “gu.”
Another creative decision was letting the slogan “Đúng Gu Town” lead the voice system — playful, rhythmic, and rooted in Vietnamese street culture. It gave us a tone that was casual yet distinct, easy to remember but hard to copy.
Designing this brand wasn’t about making coffee look cool — it was about making people feel like they already belonged. And that kind of design requires restraint, listening, and a deep appreciation for where things come from.
Project Type
Branding
Time
Apr-May 2024 (3 weeks)
Role
Logo Design, Brand Identity, Concept Development
Credit
Tai Phan - Creative Director at The Dot
Cafe The Town is a branding project developed to officially define the identity of a Saigon-based coffee brand that had been operating for years. Known for supplying roasted coffee and espresso machinery to cafés across the city, the founder - Trí, an engineer with a deep passion for coffee - became the central inspiration for the brand symbol. Instead of using cliché visuals like coffee beans or mugs, we centered the brand around a character: 'Anh Tổ Trưởng' (The Neighborhood Captain), a friendly, community-first figure who represents warmth, humor, and everyday belonging. This character anchors the logo and brand tone, turning the café into more than just a beverage shop - it's a place that reflects the spirit of Vietnamese street culture and the social nature of coffee.
The brand slogan, 'Đúng Gu Town' (Just Your Style, Town-Approved), plays on the local saying 'Đúng gu tao', evoking humor, approachability, and personalization.
Project Summary
Branding Cafe The Town was about designing a feeling - the kind you get from your favorite café on your favorite street. Local, bold, and true to taste. This brand is not about coffee as a product, it’s about what coffee represents: belonging, identity, and the joy of shared routines.
Thank you for scrolling to the end. If you have any questions or are interested in collaborating on a similar project, feel free to reach out at hello.quinnspire@gmail.com.