REDISCOVERING SHRIMPS’ SOUL

What is Shrimps?

Shrimps is a small seafood, soul food restaurant located in Brookland Park, Richmond. They describe themselves as “seafood with a splash of soul.”

They receive a lot of orders placed through third party apps such as GrubHub and DoorDash, but they don’t get a lot of foot traffic.

Their mission is to bring good food to their community, especially since the owners grew up in Brookland Park.

Shrimps wants to increase foot traffic and overall brand awareness. Many of the people who visit the restaurant in person do so because they are familiar with one of the owners, Carl. Outside of that, they don’t receive many new customers and in-person orders.

THE ASK:

After talking to the client, we created our research plan of attack and got to work. We started by creating a survey to hear about Richmond residents’ favorable restaurant experiences and desired restaurant amenities.

We then interviewed people around Richmond about their perception of Shrimps and their current branding, as well as Richmond residents’ decision making process when it comes to picking a place to eat.

Lastly, we checked out the competition. We spoke to customers and employees at nearby soul food restaurants to discover what they love.

Research Methodology:

Out of 160 respondents, 72% said that it was very important or extremely important to them.

How important is supporting a local restaurant to you?

"When I choose a new restaurant I tend to look at the ambiance and it’s visual appeal but most importantly if it’s a place that the community has praised I am much more inclined to go." - Erin, 41

Objective:

Make Shrimps’ top of mind when consumers think “community staple.”

"I like when a restaurant has an "older" vibe but not in the nostalgia way, more of the community staple way." - Survey Respondent

Problem:

Shrimps has lost sight of their soul and no longer know who they are.

When we spoke with the client, they shared that they were worried they would be pigeon-holed into the “soul food” category. However, it seems that fear came true in a separate way.

"Based on the name and logo, the restaurant is likely limiting its potential customer base as they are likely to assume the menu is crustacean focused..." - Survey Respondent

While Shrimps does primarily sell seafood, their bestselling menu item is a “Turkey Chop” that does not include seafood. Additionally, consumers are unaware of the soul food aspect of the restaurant.

Target:

The “Social Foodie”

Meet Marissa

  • Between the ages of 18 - 35

  • Considers supporting businesses a moral decision

  • Finds new restaurants through Instagram

  • Her phone eats first

71%

of our survey respondents discover new restaurants through social media, making the social foodie our perfect target.

While our social foodies discover many new restaurants through social media, what really gets them in the door is a business with a purpose. They want to feel good about supporting local restaurants and the people operating them.

Insight:

Food takes people home.

Did you know that a neuroscience study found there is a link between taste and memory? That’s why some foods may remind us of our childhoods, certain people, and positive or negative moments throughout our life. It’s powerful stuff— and it’s a driving factor as to why our target falls in love with community restaurants.

"I'm more inclined to go to a restaurant that shares their history because it gives me a little taste of their past. If they have family recipes it really keeps their culture alive." - Haley, 26

Key Message:

The best meals have even better stories.

DELIVERABLES

When we spoke to consumers about Shrimps’ current branding, we found that many people believed that they offered Asian food. Due to this, we revamped the logo with a more modern font and feel to ensure it more accurately reflects Shrimps’ offerings.

Original Logo

New Logo

Along with the new logo, we created unique takeout containers so that everyone who gets food from Shrimps, even if it’s to-go, will feel like it was a special experience.

The fun, new design will also encourage consumers to post about their Shrimps’ experience on social media.

With the new branding, we also revamped their social media and created a social campaign revolving around a giveaway opportunity and highlighting the food that takes people home.

This project also included the talents of Fabiana Acosta, Noah Marcinczyk, Rachel King, and Nicole McBride.