Nestled in the Gallatin Canyon on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park is McGill’s Restaurant and Saloon, a delightfully out-of-the-way place to grab a bite to eat with friends or cozy up for date night. At its home at the 320 Guest Ranch, McGill’s longed for its own identity and a plan to move it towards its goals of being on the map as an approachable fine dining restaurant. Here’s a look at how we partnered with McGill’s on restaurant branding and website design and development to work strategically toward their goals.
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Website Design and Development
Photography
Menu Design
Big Sky, Montana
McGill’s authenticity shines through in every touchpoint. Past and present converge to create a unique dining experience. In every touchpoint, from their fonts to colors, website and voice, that story shines through, telling people what to expect and inviting a new generation of adventurers to “savor the detour.”
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Because of its location at the 320 Guest Ranch, people often did not know that the restaurant is open to the public. To address this, we needed to communicate McGill’s all-are-welcome attitude and speak to the restaurant’s dedication to providing seasonal, local meals year-round.
Position McGill’s as a culinary destination frequented by Big Sky and Bozeman locals and sought out by visitors to the area. Additionally, communicate McGill’s ability to bring the history of the restaurant and the 320 Guest Ranch where it is located to life through innovative, fresh recipes using classic Montana ingredients.
To strategically position McGill’s as a locals’ hangout and culinary destination, we focused on the unique balance of history and innovation that makes McGill’s unique. Because of the restaurant’s history, we embraced that pioneer spirit to talk about the culinary approach at the restaurant.
Hardy facilitated a multi-phase brand launch that considered everything from employee-owner training to the ‘why pay more’ signs. The first step was to train all leadership staff on the new strategy. By providing consistent language, their leadership team has the tools to communicate the brand to all employee-owners and customers, utilize it in hiring, and lean on it for business decisions. To support the high level of service T&C is known for, we created talking points, rack cards, and tools that empower employee-owners to answer questions customers may have.
The Bridger Brewing team wanted to be prepared to can and distribute its beer after opening its second location. AMS partnered with Bridger Brewing for packaging design concepts. The first step in the packaging process involved a strategy session in which the unique identity of each beer was explored and dissected. Several concepts were then sketched out. Once a concept was selected for each beer, custom illustrations were created for cans and boxes. The result is a full lineup of beers, each with its own design that is unique while still clearly a member of the Bridger Brewing brand.
The longest line you’ll see comes from a reel.
Big ideas are best discussed on the back of a pickup.
