A Case Study in Remaking a Brand
G2 Breathes New Life Into African Concept

NFL running back Amos Zereoué retired from the gridiron a year ago to open Zereoué Restaurant & Bar (www.zereoue.com). His venue, located in midtown Manhattan, serves West African dishes with French accents adapted from family recipes. Zereoué, who dove head-first into the competitive restaurant world, reports that his baptism of fire came quickly. His conviction is that “running a restaurant is much harder than playing pro football.” An engaging personality, Zereoué rules the kitchen, interacts with patrons and welcomes former teammates and NFL players who often stop by. Evenings, he oversees bar and lounge activities during which live African-style music (typically from his recording company artists) is showcased into the wee hours.“Tough schedule,” Zereoué says, “but I enjoy the challenge.” 

Taking Stock and Moving Forward
After his first year of operation, Zereoué took stock of his relatively unknown neighborhood venue and determined that the restaurant required a facelift. He admits that the simple, necessary cosmetic changes he made to the French restaurant he acquired did not create an authentic African ambiance. His decision to create a buzz and improve the bottom line was prompted by his public relations firm, Campbell Publicity (www.campbellpublicity.com). Donnetta Campbell matched Zereoué with G2 Branding & Design (www.g2.com/brandinganddesign.com), a highly rated design team of innovative brand building experts. After months of research and creative work with G2, diverse talents and ongoing media relations developed by Campbell’s publicity team, this groundbreaking project is now in full swing. The marketing team inspired Zereoué to create a “destination” level restaurant playing off his vital personality, African heritage, mouth-watering food and lineup of musicians. Thanks to G2’s efforts, Zereoué’s restaurant will undergo a total transformation and will be creatively configured into a warm, after-hours live music venue. “Due to the creative vision of G2 Branding & Design’s new president Leslie Singer, the work reflects Amos’s personality and the welcoming traditions of his home country,” Campbell explains. Zereoué’s on-site meetings turned into an exciting discovery of many rich cultural elements. Details of the Phase 1 creative plan, commissioned by Zereoué to enhance customer appeal, took shape and turned on the idea of infusing traditional elements into an up-tempo restaurant and bar reinvention project. “While the size and scope of our projects can vary dramatically, we approach each one with a similar process,” says lead Designer Jeff Brant. “We began by researching elements of West African and French cultures and melding them into a design language to serve as the foundation on which to build.” From this point, G2 created a striking new logo and applied the new Zereoué design language into menus, innovative business cards, drink coasters and interior design schemes which work in concert to convey a unified brand essence. The Phase 2 approach will get down to the nitty-gritty of construction work. It calls for a reconfiguration of the interior layout for efficient seating, a more welcoming setting around the bar/lounge area and an upgrading of the interior design. Other members of the G2 project team include Creative Director Pablo Pineda and DesignerSookyung Lee. 

Meeting the Challenge
“West Africa meets NYC nightlife is a very challenging strategy indeed,” says Leslie Singer, G2 president and chief creative officer. “We tried to match Amos’s passion with building a space that can be as comfortable to dine in as it is to enjoy socializing and listening to his music. “The design language we developed marries the established traditions of West Africa with touches of French flavor in the lighting, colors, textures and shapes, and we then combined them with the sophistication New Yorkers and savvy visitors expect. The last thing we wanted this to be was a ‘themed’ restaurant. “Instead of using stereotypical African visual cues, we utilized highly emotive components such as warm colors taken from landscapes, handcrafted geometric patterns and a variety of interesting tactile elements to evoke West African spirit.” The retooled venue soon will be competing with deep-pocketed, top-notch veterans including Aquavit’s chef and co-owner Marcus Samuelsson, who has brought African cuisine downtown with Merkato 55. “I know my food can stand on its own, and now, thanks to this amazing team effort,so can my space,” Zereoué says.