SushiOlé. Japanese Food & Bar
SushiOlé launched in 2005 as a Japanese-Spanish fusion franchise, opening its first location in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, and later expanding into a multi-location brand recognized as a benchmark in the sector.
Challenge: The challenge was to build a scalable brand: a solid visual identity and a coherent spatial language that could support new openings without losing franchise consistency — while striking the right aesthetic and atmospheric balance between Japanese and Spanish culinary cultures.
The Project
Design, direction, and development of a comprehensive brand and space system, structured around a corporate guidelines handbook covering graphic standards (color palette, logo usage, print and digital applications, communications, and advertising) and interior design criteria (spatial zoning, furniture, finishes, materials, and lighting).
The system was anchored by mandatory brand elements ensuring visual consistency across all locations:
- Collage — A signature graphic resource using a black-and-white pattern of Japanese newspapers and Manga, applied to select printed materials and interior surfaces, most notably the lower section of the bar.
- Orange — Featured in the “Sun” of the logo, this accent color supports the brand’s black-and-white palette and appears across digital, print, and physical spaces — including walls and ceilings in the bar area.
- Black — The dominant brand color, used as a flat background canvas for graphic assets and on interior walls, often paired with the “SushiOlé” wordmark or the Japanese lotus tree motif.
For interiors, a tactile, high-contrast atmosphere was standardized: dark wood furniture, chairs under orange pendant lamps, matte white or black walls, and a gloss lotus tree motif rendered tone-on-tone. The VIP area featured a brown accent wall, silver signage, and cream-upholstered banquettes.
For exteriors, silver lettering was used exclusively on the outdoor sign, over a black background or a backlit logo box.
The result
The project enabled the rollout of a franchise model with a consistent identity across four Madrid locations, connecting the graphic universe, packaging and stationery, with a recognizable customer experience. The corporate handbook served as a production and implementation control tool, ensuring each restaurant maintained the brand’s core elements from opening through ongoing operations.
- Design: Iván Vidal y Karina Di Battista.
- Final Client: SushiOlé