Project Type { Brand Design & Digital
El Fenix is a legendary chain of Mexican restaurants in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, (Texas). It was founded in 1918 by Mike Martinez. El Fenix is known for its brand of "Tex-Mex cuisine" and the Wednesday “Enchilada Dinner Special,” which features two cheese enchiladas, refried beans, and rice. The downtown Dallas
location serves about 1,200 lunches on a typical Wednesday or Friday
and about that many more for dinner. After 90 years of ownership by the
Martinez family, it was announced on June 5, 2008 that the family would
sell the company to Dallas based Firebird Restaurant Group LLC.
OFB was commissioned to study the 90 year old brand and help the new ownership to understand how they could safely expand the brand. The key challenge was to maintain the loyal customer base but evolve enough to change the perception held by non-customers that El Fenix was low quality.
OFB conducted a 5 week study (The OFB
Brand Design & Launch program) to help this client tell his brand story and bring it to life.) in order to fully diagnose and study the customers, brand bones, and history of El Fenix. Our strategists recommended that the brand actually had slowly but surely lost touch with it's sense of quality design.
OFB design set out on a mission to restore this legendary brand to all star design form. We studied the visual history of the brand and worked to develop a new brand identity that adds a new level of style and sophistication to El Fenix but with a timeless feel. This was followed by improvements to menus, signage, packaging, outdoor ads, interiors, merchandise, uniforms, and more. Stay tuned for more!