Bar Oyatsu
Restaurant | 2021–2022
Role: Founder, Creative Director, Brand & Marketing Lead
A small Japanese comfort-food concept that went from idea to opening in roughly a month, serving favourites such as onigiri and karaage.
I wanted to create a distinctive experience where the food, brand and physical space felt connected. It became a crash course in turning a creative vision into a functioning business, complete with the realities of staffing, operations and customer service.
What I Did
Developed the brand identity, visual direction and marketing materials.
Created the menu and set up inventory and payments through Square.
Designed and launched the online ordering system.
Managed social media, advertising and customer communications.
Handled day-to-day operations while balancing a full-time job.
Impact
Launched the restaurant within a short timeframe, with both in-person and online ordering.
Built brand awareness and attracted repeat customers.
Gained first-hand experience in business operations, customer experience and making decisions under pressure.
Bar Oyatsu taught me how closely branding, technology, people and operations are connected when you're running a business.
