The London museum-goer or professional on a lunch run will know all about Benugo. The burgeoning chain combines a luxe panini service with the aromas of freshly made coffee and favourite British lunchtime fare. Now it also combines a dollop of personality with a pinch of William Shakespeare.

The chain has launched two new locations featuring a rebranded identity that will soon roll out to the existing branches. The ico designed branding features black and white illustrations, one depicting the Bard himself. The new identity aims to demonstrate the independent spirit of the cafes while simultaneously promoting Benugo’s new position as a major high-street player.

Vivek Bhatia, partner at Ico Design, says “Benugo want to grow primarily on the high-street. We felt the best way to make their brand presence more effective was to create a flexible visual identity that could work across all areas of the business – high-street, public spaces, in-house and the restaurants. They were keen to keep their paired-back aesthetic so we kept all brand communication monochrome, only ever adding colour for promotions. All the posters and other assets we created are about celebrating what it is that Benugo does differently.”

The new shops also feature redesigned interiors by Path featuring natural materials, exposed brick and hollowed out spaces for a contemporary yet comfortable feel. The rebrand also featured a tailor-made typeface called ‘Benugo Franchise’ to promote consistency across the company's branding.