P.F. Chang’s To Go and Wing Squad Delivers

This edition of MRM News Bites features Boston Market, Danu Partners, P.F. Chang’s, Wing Squad, Yumpingo, Restaurant Revolution Technologies, Waitbusters, Dairy Queen, Fish City Grill, The National Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and Keilhauer.

New CEO at Boston Market

Boston Market® named Eric Wyatt as Chief Executive Officer.  He succeeds Frances Allen, Boston Market’s CEO since 2018, who is departing for a new venture.  

Having served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Wyatt will oversee a newly created “Office of CEO” that includes Chief Financial Officer Caryn Doyle and Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Randy Miller. Under Allen’s leadership, this C-suite team has been instrumental in implementing a multi-faceted transformation plan designed to ensure long-term sustainability, enhance brand relevance, accelerate innovation, improve guest satisfaction, increase overall profitability and create a clear growth plan to propel the company forward.  

“The significant progress Boston Market has achieved in a short period of time and in the face of very challenging market conditions would not have been possible without the commitment and efforts of our entire team; this company is in a very different place than it was in 2018,” said Allen. “Most importantly, there is a robust game plan in place to take the brand forward.  The foundation is here.  The structure is here.  The plan is here.  And the people are here.  There is a tremendous amount to feel proud of – and excited about – looking ahead.  While the decision to take on this new opportunity was extraordinarily difficult, I am confident I am leaving the brand in outstanding hands.”

“The renewed energy and excitement now surrounding Boston Market is palpable from the restaurants to the support center,” said Wyatt.  “The fun has returned in multiple ways, from investments in our workforce to our fresh new marketing and messaging, to more contemporary recipes, to delivering an entirely new, more compelling experience for guests that has dramatically improved satisfaction levels. I am honored to take on the role as CEO and work collaboratively with this dynamic C-level team to build on our momentum and execute on our plans for moving forward.”

Prior to joining Boston Market, Wyatt served as Operations Partner/Vice President of Operations for Panera Bread, where he was responsible for all aspects of operations, including retail, marketing, recruiting, catering, facilities and bakery at more than 40 cafes in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.  Before that he was Vice President, Store Operations Support for Bath & Body Works, where he oversaw multiple functions supporting more than 1,500 company operated stores. Earlier, he held several senior positions at Starbucks Coffee Company, most recently as Vice President, Global & Americas Operations.  He also previously worked with Taco Bell Corporation and Mobil Oil Corporation.     

PPX Hospitality Launches

Danu Partners, the Irish investment firm that owns Boston-based Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc., is launching a new hospitality group with a strong Boston presence as they continue to invest in the city.  PPX Hospitality Brands will manage two restaurant groups headquartered in metro Boston, the aforementioned Smith & Wollensky, and The Strega Group, a collection of Italian chophouses recently acquired from the Varano Group.

“Following the successful acquisition of the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group in 2016, the acquisition of The Strega Group is an attractive opportunity to add highly complementary Boston-based operating businesses to our hospitality portfolio,” said Danu Partners’ Leonard Ryan. “We believe in the long-term potential of this market and look forward to investing in these restaurants and the talented teams that operate them.”

PPX Hospitality Brands will be led by Michael Feighery, CEO & President of Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, who has worked with the international steakhouse brand for 35 years now.  In his new role as CEO of PPX Hospitality Brands, Feighery will oversee the entirety of PPX Hospitality Brands, while remaining in his role with Smith & Wollensky. 

“Through the creation of PPX Hospitality Brands and with Smith & Wollensky’s commitment to genuine hospitality and quality, we will bring additional support systems, growth strategy and a team of resources to drive the Strega brand to new heights,” said Feighery. “We are committed to investing in The Strega Group’s team members, brand awareness, facilities and the customer experience throughout greater Boston.”

As part of the acquisition, Danu, through their newly formed subsidiary PPX Hospitality Brands, will own and operate the following Strega concepts:  Strega Waterfront, STRIP by Strega and Strega Prime, as well as several cafés and a catering business, all of which operate in the Greater Boston Area. The Varano Group will continue to operate a collection of Italian restaurants in Boston’s North End, including Nico, Rina’s and Strega North End.  The Varano Group will also continue its association with Fratelli, the Italian fine dining restaurant at the Encore Boston Harbor Resort.

“The Strega brand was built by my passion and determination to add to Boston's outstanding culinary scene over the past 17 years and to have this opportunity to pass on the Strega experience to a company like Danu Partners is an incredible opportunity,"  said Nick Varano, founder of The Varano Group. “This will be a new day for The Varano Group and look forward to the continued success of everyone involved.”

 P.F. Chang's To Go

P.F. Chang’s opened its first P.F. Chang’s To Go location in Chicago, Illinois. P.F. Chang’s To Go River North is the first of many openings for the P.F. Chang’s To Go concept in the Chicago market with other openings planned in large cities across America. These new restaurant additions will allow more guests to experience the P.F. Chang’s Asian favorites they know and love in a convenient format that provides a solution for online ordering, takeout, catering and delivery in areas that don’t have a P.F. Chang’s restaurant nearby. The first 100 guests to place an order either online or in person at the new River North location will get free Lettuce Wraps for a year.

P.F. Chang’s To Go River North opened  on February 3 to serve the Chicago community. At just more than 2,000 square feet, the River North location is a smaller footprint than the company’s full-scale restaurants, creating access to P.F. Chang’s in areas such as high-density metropolitan communities, that don’t always offer space conducive to a full-scale restaurant. The décor incorporates P.F. Chang’s bold murals and powerful warrior horse. The curated menu features P.F. Chang’s most well-known made from scratch dishes, including guest favorites like Chang’s Lettuce Wraps, Mongolian Beef, The Original Dynamite Shrimp and Chang’s Spicy Chicken. A grab-and-go fridge offers a selection of fresh sushi, salads and beverages.

“We’ve seen the evolution of dining and are ready to meet market demand for easily accessible yet elevated Asian cuisine,” said Chris Demery, senior vice president of off-premises dining for P.F. Chang’s. “Only 25 percent of U.S. households are conveniently located to a P.F. Chang’s and distance is the number one reason our guests say they are not able to visit us as often as they would like. P.F. Chang’s To Go, along with the continued delivery availability from Bistro locations, will allow us to reach more guests nationwide.”

The new P.F. Chang’s To Go River North location will operate Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The location complements four full-scale restaurants in the Chicago metro. Two more P.F. Chang’s To Go openings are planned for the Chicago area later in 2020. The concept is also planned for Manhattan and Long Island, New York as well as Houston, Texas and Washington, D.C.

Wing Squad Launches

Restaurateur Robert Earl, founder of Virtual Dining Concepts, is doubling-down on restaurant delivery service by launching Wing Squad, top photo. The delivery-only restaurant provides customers wings, sides and sweets directly to them – exclusively via food delivery services including GrubHub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates.  

Wing Squad’s initial rollout includes the following cities (and nearby participating neighborhoods): Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Palo Alto, Orlando, San Diego, Seattle and Washington D.C.  Additional locations will be added regularly, consumers looking for them should search within one of the food delivery services mentioned above.

"Food delivery has quickly become an everyday occurrence for many people, so I created Wing Squad as part of my Virtual Dining Concepts network,” said Earl. “Wing Squad will be delivery only, which allows us to launch from a wide range of locations.  With this business model, the sky is the limit.”

The reduction of traditional labor and overhead costs are slashed by utilizing existing restaurants and delivery services, meaning Wing Squad is able to provide a superior product to consumers (Wing Squad's wings have no antibiotics or preservatives), at an affordable price.  The unique and on-brand packaging will capture the diner's attention by providing an Instagram-worthy photo opportunity along with a great meal, whether it’s for lunch, the big game, a study break or late-night snack.  

The online menu at Wing Squad will offer wings in six different flavors, including BBQ, Honey Garlic, Cajun, Garlic Parmesan, Sweet Chili, and Buffalo, an option of sides including mac & cheese, two salads, chips, celery & carrots, and dressings. As for dessert options, the menu will include chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie or chocolate chip brownies.

Yumpingo Secures Funding

 Yumpingo has raised $10 million in a Series A investment with London-based VC Smedvig Capital. The funding will be used to scale and further innovate Yumpingo’s one-minute instant review platform, launch Yumpingo Pay, a new pay-at-table platform, and expand the company’s sales and operations internationally. Additionally, Keith Taylor, chief financial officer of Equinix, and Mike Ryan, CEO of Bullet Point Network, and previously partner and head of global equity products at Goldman Sachs, are investing in the round and will be joining the Yumpingo board. Also investing is David Cantu, co-founder of HotSchedules.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the team at Smedvig Capital and welcome Joe and Rob to our board,” said Gary Goodman, CEO and Founder of Yumpingo. “Along with Keith and Mike, to have such experienced investors join our board is a testament to the strength of the business we have created and the market opportunity we are seeing around the world for Yumpingo to empower restaurant teams to improve guests' experiences every day.”

According to Joe Knowles, Principal at Smedvig Capital: “Yumpingo’s unique instant review platform helps restaurants gather valuable real-time insights into their customers in an ever-competitive and customer-centric industry. We’ve been really impressed with Gary and the team, and are excited to partner with them to grow Yumpingo into the global leader in this emerging space.”

Yumpingo collects data at the end of a meal when the check is presented via a one-minute survey on operator-branded hardware or through a diner’s smartphone. Data is distilled down into meaningful insights that provide management (at site, regional and corporate levels) with the visibility to make informed decisions about how best to optimize the guest experience at the menu item, service, site, menu or concept level.

Revolution Adds Head of Product Development

Restaurant Revolution Technologies (Revolution) announced the addition of former Splick-it COO Tarek Dimachkie as the newly created Head of Product Development. Dimachkie will lead innovative enhancements to the online and mobile ordering capabilities of the Order One platform, as well as augmenting the client administration interface.

Dimachkie brings extensive product development experience after serving as Co-founder and COO for Splick-it, a Denver, Colorado based company specializing in online and mobile ordering applications for restaurants. In 2016, Splick-it acquired its competitor, Onosys, to further the combined company’s product offering. Dimachkie served as COO of the combined company until recently joining Revolution. Prior to Splick-it, Dimachkie served in a variety of technical, product and operational leadership roles with such notable companies as Excite@Home, MatchLogic and American Express.

“It’s an honor to be joining the Revolution team and to lead product enhancements and innovation related to the Order One platform,” said Tarek Dimachkie, Head of Product Development. “What especially excites me about the opportunity is how uniquely suited Order One is in supporting restaurants desiring to win back customers lost to third party delivery like GrubHub, UberEats and DoorDash and to control and leverage rich customer data that leads to more frequent visits and improves the customers’ online buying experience.”

Dimachkie will work closely with Revolution’s CTO Tony DiCenzo and the growing technology team as the company continues to develop and augment new and existing Order One platform features.

“Tarek is one of the most respected product developers within the restaurant technology space and we are very pleased to have him as part of the Revolution team,” said Brad Duea, CEO of Revolution. “We continue to push the innovation curve with our Order One platform functionality. With Tarek’s unique background, we are poised to accelerate product advancements that enable our restaurant partners with powerful tools to grow their off-premise business by making their food more convenient for customers.”

Waitbusters Gets Guapo's

Guapo’s, a multi-unit establishment in Northern Virginia has selected its Waitbusters' Digital Diner software for use in its nine locations.  The Tex-Mex restaurant staple has already gone live with the software in its Herndon, VA and Fair Lakes, VA locations with the rest to follow in the upcoming weeks.

Guapo’s Restaurant, which first opened its doors almost 29 years ago, has expanded tremendously in Fairfax County, Virginia and offers in house dining, takeout, delivery and catering.  With so much going on at so many locations the owners were looking for an efficient solution that could be monitored across the board.  They sought an all in one software solution that could meet the day-to-day front of house management needs as well as could offer their customers the ability to order online.

They opted to utilize Digital Diner’s wait line and reservation management features and well as their online ordering solution.  In addition to “in house” online ordering, Digital Diner offers 3rd party platform integration, which allows restaurants such as Guapo’s to continue to employ the marketing power behind third party platforms like DoorDash or Grubhub in conjunction with offering their own online ordering presence.  The beauty in this is that all of the customer data is located in one spot and all orders go to the POS thereby eliminating manual order errors.

Guapo’s also plans to use Digital Diner’s Delivery As A Service (DAAS), which provides the restaurant with delivery drivers on demand thereby eliminating the need to hire and manage drivers.

Dairy Queen Names Iron Tip Winners

International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced the winners of the Dairy Queen® 2020 IRON TIP competition. 

IRON TIP is the brand’s biennial cake decorating competition for talented cake artists employed by Dairy Queen® stores. Nearly 450 DQ® brand cake decorators from across the globe entered this year’s competition. The competition challenges the cake decorators to continue to improve their skills in providing incredible designs to Dairy Queen® guests.

The competition commenced with two rigorous rounds during which entrants decorated cakes according to the competition’s guidelines and submitted photos of their design artistry. A panel of judges selected five finalists to compete in-person at Connect 2020, the DQ® brand’s flagship franchisee, vendor, industry expert and system leadership conference, which was held January 16-19 in New Orleans, La. 

The finalists and their guests – one from Canada, one from the International division, and three from the United States, were flown to New Orleans, La., to attend Connect 2020. The finalists participated in front of a crowd of cheering conference attendees in three timed rounds of cake decorating that tested their creativity, artistic skills and ability to remain calm and focused under pressure. 

“These amazing artists are truly gifted designers who take pride in decorating Dairy Queen® brand cake designs to bring joy to their store’s fans. As a brand we are incredibly appreciative that we attract such a high caliber of skilled artists to share their talents with our fans on a global basis,” said the IRON TIP organizer Cheri Buswell, director of concept support services at IDQ.

The final competition results were: 

1st place winner, Candice Gumm of Appleton, Wis., received a $1,500 cash prize and commemorative plaque. 

2nd place winner, Kelly Kirkland of Orleans, Ontario, Canada, received a $1,000 cash prize and commemorative plaque. 

3rd place winner, Sandra Wheeler of Vail, Ariz., received a $750 cash prize and commemorative plaque. 

4th place winner, Patricia Mason of Mentor, Ohio and 5th place winner, Chona Villanueva of Bahrain, each received an Iron Tip medallion to recognize their participation, technical skills and artistry. 

“In line with our continued growth as a system, this year marked the highest number of entries we’ve ever received, elevating the quality of competition. The five winning finalists are truly the best of the best,” added Buswell. 

New Branding for Fish City Grill

When Bill & Lovett Bayne opened their first restaurant, they wanted to create a comfortable place for neighbors to enjoy great seafood at affordable prices. Now, after twenty-five years of growth, Fish City Grill is launching a new logo as part of a rebranding campaign designed to reflect the evolution of the restaurant.

Fish City Grill’s new design and aesthetic changes will be revealed when their newest San Antonio location opens this spring. Meanwhile at all current locations, Customers will first see the new logo uniforms and menus, but eventually the new look will be carried out in every aspect of the dining experience.

The branding was designed with the Fish City Grill Customer in mind. As the company has grown to 20 restaurants, the Customer base has also evolved. The stylized fish and cooler blue color palette was selected to appeal to today’s broader dining demographics without confusing their current Customers. It was also chosen to reflect the company’s Core Values of Respect, Inclusiveness, and Integrity and its Culture of creating an awesome place for Team Members and Customers.

“We have been blessed with 10 consecutive years of positive same store sales growth. And we want that trend to continue, so we have taken a proactive stance to keep our concept current and relevant. We believe the look and feel will be welcoming to a broader crowd while not alienating any of our current Customers. We want to steer towards a look that feels coastal without being beachy,” noted Fish City Grill co-founder Bill Bayne. “It was important that this look organically showcase our commitment to freshly prepared seafood, and our scratch recipes, in a way that speaks to all of our Customers.”

Brand integration will be a gradual process for Fish City Grill. While uniforms and menus will change during the first quarter of 2020, signage replacement and other touchpoints will be integrated throughout the rest of the year for the existing stores.

New Board Members Named

The National Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation today announced their 2020 board officers and directors.

Melvin Rodrigue, president and CEO of Galatoire’s Restaurants, will serve as chair of the National Restaurant Association Board of Directors, and Stan Harris, president and CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, will serve as chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.

“The restaurant and foodservice industry continues to grow, offering diners more options to enjoy the food they love. Melvin and Stan are proven leaders who are dedicated to ensuring that restaurants can continue to provide opportunity and enjoyment in communities across the country,” said Marvin Irby, interim president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and interim CEO of the Educational Foundation. “Their years of experience provide a strength of leadership and unique insight that are valuable as our industry looks to the future.”

In addition to Rodrigue, Vice Chair Brian E. Casey, president of Oak Hill Tavern and the Company Picnic Company, and Treasurer Lance Trenary, president and CEO of Golden Corral Corporation, will lead the Association’s board.

Foundation officers supporting Harris are Vice Chair Susan Adzick, executive vice president and chief operating officer at McLane Foodservice, Inc., and Treasurer Kent Walrack, executive vice president, chief strategy officer of Lyons Magnus.

Each of the officers will serve a one-year term. The following is the list of 2020 board officers for the National Restaurant Association and the Educational Foundation:

National Restaurant Association

Chair: Melvin Rodrigue is president and CEO of Galatoire’s Restaurants in New Orleans. He has dedicated his career to cultivating the traditions and experiences of one of America's grandest fine-dining institutions, Galatoire’s, in business since 1905, and a showcase for New Orleans as a world-classdining destination. Under his leadership, Galatoire’s iconic, flagship restaurant was named the James Beard Foundation’s Most Outstanding Restaurant in the United States in 2005. Rodrigue also serves as president of New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He is a past president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association as well as a director of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau board.

Vice Chair: Brian E. Casey is president and owner of North Kingstown, R.I.-based Oak Hill Tavern and the Company Picnic Company. A 35-year hospitality industry veteran and lifelong resident of Rhode Island, he has deep roots in his local community. He was chairman of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, and in 2013 named their Restaurateur of the Year and Caterer of the Year in 2008. A graduate of Rhode Island College, he earned a Bachelor of Science in political science.

Treasurer: Lance Trenary is president and CEO of Golden Corral Corporation, a nearly $2 billion organization comprised of 35,000 employees and almost 200 franchise entities that operate 460 of the system's 500 restaurants across 42 states. He has served in his current role since 2015 and has been a part of Golden Corral for 35 years. His prior position was chief operating officer, but he has held virtually every leadership role within the company throughout his career progression.

Trenary’s service to the restaurant industry includes serving as a trustee for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, serving on the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, chair of the Restaurant Industry Executive Council, and as a member of the Women's Foodservice Forum CEO Advisory Council.  Additionally, he serves as board chair of Camp Corral, a nonprofit summer camp for children of fallen or disabled military service members. Trenary also serves on the Founders Circle of Project Healing Waters, a national nonprofit dedicated to the rehabilitation of wounded warriors through fly fishing opportunities.

Trenary attended Mississippi State University and Harvard Business School, where he completed the Advanced Management Program, and the University of North Carolina, where he completed the Executive Management Education Program. He is married to Paulette, his wife of 35 years, and they have two adult daughters, Elizabeth and Ally Catherine.

The National Restaurant Association also added several new members to the board. The newly elected directors include:

• Teddy Balestreri II, executive vice president of hospitality operations, Cannery Row Company/Sardine Factory/Inns of Monterey, Monterey, Calif.
• Archna Becker, president, Bhojanic Restaurant and Catering, Atlanta
• Jeanne Cretella, president, Landmark Hospitality, Jersey City, N.J.
• Camille Lee-Johnson, president and chief operating officer, Lee Wesley, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Heather Neary, president, Auntie Anne's, Lancaster, Pa.
•  Laurie Schalow, chief corporate reputation officer, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Newport Beach, Calif.

National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

Chair: Stan Harris is president and CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. Before that, Harris spent 27 years with TJM Restaurant Management, which was the largest franchisee of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, including stints as president and CEO of the firm. In 2007, he became CEO of the Forefront Group, North America’s largest supplier of golf accessories. Most recently, Harris was managing partner of The H Group, a management advisory firm focused on business-process improvement and team development, serving family businesses and entrepreneurs. He is a past president of the Council of State Restaurant Associations and director on the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau board. Harris graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Vice Chair: Susan Adzick is executive vice president and chief operating officer at McLane Foodservice, Inc. She is active in the foodservice industry, she serves as a National Restaurant Association board member, on the Restaurant Leadership Conference Advisory Council, and served on the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) Board of Directors as chair in 2018.  She started her foodservice career with PepsiCo Food Systems.  She received her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Treasurer: Kent Walrack is a 36-year veteran of the foodservice business and currently serves as executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Lyons Magnus. Lyons Magnus is a privately held company based in Fresno, Calif., whose core business is manufacturing and marketing fruit and flavor-related products to the foodservice, dairy and contract packing industries. He also served on the executive board as past chair of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA). He graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.

In addition to naming its new board officers, the Educational Foundation also introduced its new board members. They include:

• Kristin Bitter, vice president, industry affairs, The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta
• Chris Loflin, senior vice president, global corporate accounts, Ecolab, St. Paul, Minn.
• Donna Quadri-Felitti, Marvin Ashner director and associate professor, Penn State School of Hospitality Management, University Park, Pa.
• Susannah Sellers-Ryan, vice president, industry relations and business development, PepsiCo, Charlotte, N.C.
• Kelli Valade, CEO, Black Box Intelligence, Dallas

Keilhauer Acquires Division Twelve

Keilhauer acquired Division Twelve. Through the purchase, Keilhauer is expanding its offerings with a unique line of tables and seating.  The colorful new line’s personality, durability and adaptability will function as a solution for office environments that want to create unconventional meeting or luncheon areas that are inspired by leading hospitality trends.

“Though we have historically focused more on office environments, we have always been excited and inspired by the hospitality sector. This acquisition provides us with a new solution for office design, extends our reach into new markets, and brings excellent design talent into our house. It complements what we do at Keilhauer beautifully,” said President Mike Keilhauer. “From the moment I first saw Division Twelve I was struck by a feeling of joy. I am excited to bring that feeling to the market.”

Division Twelve was founded in Edmonton, Canada by industrial designer Geof Lilge in 2017. Lilge is best known for founding Pure Design, and has worked extensively in bespoke residential and hospitality design across western Canada.  As a result, Division Twelve reflects a combination of sensibilities that aligns with Keilhauer’s focus on soft contract design. Lilge, who has been retained by Keilhauer to serve as Division Twelve’s Creative Director, said: “I’m very excited to work with Keilhauer. They have been an inspiration to me for the past twenty years of my career. We share the same desire to push boundaries, the same passion for modern design, and the same reverence for making. There is a mutual love for every step of the design process: from concept, to prototype, to the final installation.”

The initial collection of bent metal stools, chairs, tables and bench feature the designs of Geof Lilge, Scot Laughton and Samuel Petterson. The pieces have an urban, modern design that ranges from straight-forward to sculptural. Twenty different powder coat colors are available to customize each piece and create impactful designs and spaces. Each year, the palette will be updated to include the latest Pantone® Color of the Year for an of-the-moment spark of inspiration. 

The initial, Division Twelve offering features a diverse collection of chairs, stools and tables. Using simple materials to create timeless, trend-forward designs, the furniture can be integrated into any environment, including hospitality, education, office and even residential.

To launch the brand to the global design community, Keilhauer collaborated with the global, award-winning ad agency Cossette to develop a bold new marketing campaign that incorporated traditional ads, printed collateral, a new website and installations. The bent steel tube frames inspired the marketing tagline “Get Bent” and set the colloquial, irreverent tone. The campaign explores joy, individuality, and the creative process through exaggerated scales, unexpected vignettes, and the playful use of color and copy.

“The marketing is meant to be provocative,” said Meghan Sherwin, VP Marketing, Keilhauer. “It connects us to the earliest stages of the design process: exploration and discovery. We’re intentionally breaking industry norms."