Scratch Made Baked Goods

When Gretchen from the Nostalgic Bean reached out I was really excited, not only are they a local bake shop we at Ink Signals frequent often, but in our opinion the best bakery in our area. They do everything from scratch with the highest quality / local ingredients they can get, with flawless technique you would be hard pressed to find outside of Paris. EVERYTHING is good there and everything looks just as beautiful. 

Too Darling To Devour - Delicious To Deny

After learning they had inherited branding that didn't fit anymore and that they wanted a fresh look to help draw a line in the sand from old to new. We began to dig deep into what the goals were of the rebrand.

  • A fresh new look to go from old to new owners

  • Fun light hearted colorful brand that fits the new owners and is something they can be proud of

  • Something the community can get behind

  • Branding that matches the quality of what they do but also is not too serious 

  • Merch and swag to open up new revenue streams

  • Menu templates that can easily be updated

A stylized illustration of a smiling gnome with a red hat, white beard, and blue clothing, surrounded by flowers and concentric circles.

Project Scope:

— Logo System

— Brand guidelines

— Packaging Design

— Type & color system

— Collateral: Signage, Stickers, Business Cards

— Apparel / Merch - Design & Print

— Menu Design

“The rebrand was instrumental in redefining our business as new and refreshed, especially as we, new owners, took over. People love how cute our gnome mascot is, he feels inviting!”

- Gretchen Oster, Owner

Branding that reflects you

After working through a few concepts that were close but not quite right, we hit on something with a more fun and unexpected option that was gathered from the discovery.

We took what makes them unique, in this case their high quality visually stunning authentic french baked goods and incorporating the owners own nostalgic memory from childhood based on David the gnome (A children's show from the 80s). We came up with a baking gnome mascot and built out a fun not take yourself too seriously, whimsical visual identity.

Our discovery process is designed to extract what makes our clients unique and then tying that into their goals for where they want to end up.

Shown here are a few of the early concepts.

Four black-and-white logos for The Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe, each with different designs featuring stylized beans, floral motifs, and text elements.
Logo design featuring a gnome with a tall hat, surrounded by a rainbow and leaves, with text 'The Nostalgic Bean' and phrases 'Scratch Made Baked Goods' and 'Fresh'.
Two logo designs for The Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe, featuring a gnome with a tall, pointed hat, surrounded by stylized leaves, with text indicating location in Altoona, Wisconsin, and established date in 2019.
Graphic illustrating laminated dough, with a logo in the center and two circular images of pastry layers: one showing folded dough, and the other showing a baked, twisted pastry. Accompanying text states that the design was inspired by laminated dough and pastry twists and knots.

The final logo / brand system

Logo of Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe featuring a gnome with a red hat, a white beard, and blue flowers, with text indicating location in Altoona, WI.
Designs of a logo and branding materials for Nostalgic Bean, a bakery and cafe in Altoona, Wisconsin. The logo features a gnome with a beard, a hat, and flowers, with text around it. There are different versions of the logo including the full name, bakery name, and a simplified icon.
Logo for Nostalgic Beanie, a bakery, featuring a smiling gnome with a red hat, floral accents, and the text "Scratch Made Baked Goods," established 2019.
Diagram of a gnome with a red hat, blonde beard, and blue clothing, surrounded by decorative flowers and labeled with features such as 'Baking Gnome', 'Laminated Dough Layers', and 'Vanilla Flowers'.

Behind The Brand

The baking gnome - he’s happy, content, and delighted by his scratch made treats! The inspiration for the baking gnome came from Gretchen’s (one of the owners) childhood whimsical nostalgia. A fun, lighthearted, colorful brand was wanted so the baking gnome was born. Laminated dough layers, representing their signature French baking style, and vanilla flowers are also included in the icon.

Line art of a smiling gnome with a tall pointed hat, facial hair, surrounded by flowers and concentric circles.

  • Baking Gnome

  • Laminated Dough Layers

  • Vanilla Flowers

  • Fun, Light Hearted, Colorful

A tote bag with the logo of Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe being held outside a brick building with large windows, featuring branding and shop signs for Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe in Altoona, Wisconsin.
A cartoon gnome with a red hat, smiling face, white mustache, and beard, surrounded by white concentric circles, blue flowers, and a rainbow on a dark teal background.
A paper bag with croissants and a beige coffee mug, both branded with the Northstar Magic Bean Bakery & Cafe logo, featuring a wizard hat and flowers. There is a red sticker with a croissant logo and text reading "Flaky Buttery Goodness" and "Scratch Made."
Logo for Nostalgic Bakery & Cafe with a gnome, flowers, and baking utensils, established in 2019 in Altoona, Wisconsin.
Logo for Nosos Talagic Bead, featuring a gnome with a red hat and a white beard, flanked by two blue flowers, with the text "Nosos Talagic Bead" at the top, "Scratch Made Baked Goods" along the bottom, and "Altoona, WI" underneath.

Brand Voice

We helped come up with a few fun sayings we could use for the brand voice.

After hearing a story of a bad review they received about their authentic french style croissants being “too flaky” I thought that was the perfect thing to lean into and own.

Flaky Buttery Goodness

Too Darling To Devour - Delicious To Deny 

Let’s Get Nostalgic 

Scratch Made Baked Goods

Design logo with a shell illustration and text promoting flaky buttery goodness, nostalgia, and a welcoming message for Altona, WI.

Return On Investment

7% increase in Revenue

A year post rebrand, and are continuing to grow.

New Revenue Streams

Merchandise using new branding contributed 15% of the growth.

Line In the sand

From old to new, was a good time to raise prices up around 3% average.

Empowering

A brand that reflects them and resonates with their customers, and that they are proud of.

“I absolutely think rebranding was worth it for us.  Not only has it opened up new revenue streams, but it allowed us to draw a line in the sand from old to new.  We are so happy to have worked with Ink Signals.”

- Gretchen Oster, Owner

Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe branded merchandise including a black cap, a black hoodie, and two t-shirts in red and blue, featuring the bakery's logo with a gnome, flowers, and the text 'Scratch Made Baked Goods Altoona, WI'.
Black hooded sweatshirts with bakery-themed logo, one displaying a gnome with a red hat and mustache, the other with text "Nostalgic & Bean" on the chest.

Bakery Menu Design

We designed a flexible and editable menu system that they can update regularly to share on social and in store. We set up a custom branded template using Adobe Express that they can edit easily themselves.

Drink Menu Design

We designed and printed a menu system that they can update regularly with their rotating drink specials and flavors. We printed them on a pvc material that is light enough to hang easily and rigid enough to last a long time.

A paper menu and a digital menu displayed on a smartphone for Nostalgic Bean Bakery & Cafe, featuring food items like quiches, croissants, bread, macarons, and sweets, with a cappuccino on a tray.
A coffee menu divided into three sections: Coffee/ espresso, Not Coffee, and Specialty, with prices listed for different sizes and flavors, along with seasonal specialties and additional details about menu size and printed materials.

We offer more than just a logo - We craft a whole logo system!

Before & After

After
Lets Chat Design
Next Project