Restoring a Community Favorite: Restaurant Des Alpes in Interlaken Gains a New Identity

To restore Restaurant Des Alpes in Interlaken to its former glory as a go-to spot for tourists, travelers and locals alike, Enigma turned its attention to branding in time for the popular restaurant’s reopening.

Restaurant Des Alpes was a treasured local retreat where people could come together at the end of the day to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal and catch up with friends and family. It was a tribute to the beautiful community of Interlaken.

But then came the shock: the restaurant had to close.

Fortunately, the restaurant came under new ownership, so Des Alpes could open its doors again. To ensure a smooth reopening and allow the restaurant to maintain its presence, Enigma assisted with the rebranding. This process was completed with a highly successful design sprint that led to the impressive results.

Appetizer: Ambition

Des Alpes consists of five areas: a sports bar, the main restaurant, a smoking lounge, a terrace and a pavilion. The traditional restaurant is expanding and pursuing big goals. After its temporary closure in 2022, the new owners took over this cultural landmark and set strong accents without neglecting the roots. This was to be underlined by a new look: a new brand with a new logo, new colors and a new image. The restaurant had to pay tribute to the tight-knit community, but at the same time lead the way through innovation. It should become THE place to go in Interlaken, comparable to the Eiffel Tower in Oberland or the Big Ben in Bern. This is where Enigma comes into play.

Main course: Action

To achieve this, Enigma undertook the redesign of the visual universe using a design sprint. This efficient method allowed the client to give feedback and receive an improved version on the same day the new logos were presented to them. Our talented designers first positioned Restaurant Des Alpes within a neuromarketing matrix – how should the restaurant appear to the outside world? We then developed various concepts – from mood boards and stories to final logos. These were then placed on menus, coasters, business cards, matches etc. to visualize the design for the restaurant owners. This emphasizes how much energy, time and ideas go into creating a design and how the creative process works.

Dessert: Impact

The design sprint was successfully completed in one day, from start to finish. In the morning, the lead designer on the project, Jan Wellinger presented the designs, so the clients could choose their favorites. Before noon, they were able to express their wishes for improvements, which Jan responded to after a short lunch break. The final design, which met all the client’s wishes, was presented that same afternoon. But that wasn’t all! With the help of the new design, Jan was able to create a preliminary web design on the same day as well.

This service is unique to Enigma. And the customers really appreciate it, as the new owner of the Restaurant Des Alpes said: “Thank you very much for the great work your team did yesterday. We are delighted with the result”.