Chilango Chancery Lane

Mexican restaurant chain Chilango began developing their brand with us back in 2005 fast forward 6 years and they have just opened this, their 5th site in Chancery Lane, London. This complete branding and interiors project allowed us to develop a new strategic brand position that would best express the essence, vision and new found confidence of the Chilango brand together with a scalable creative solution that could deliver on the teams ambitions. Chilango, a slang term used to describe someone from Mexico City, perfectly captures the essence of modern Mexico and gives the brand a twist of fast, urban, cool. Vibrant colour ways create a sense of fun with a sprinkling of Latino lust for life, which has, became a new recipe for success. The aim for this site was to evolve the brand to encompass more of the gritty underbelly of Mexico City, which lies at the heart of the Chilango brand. The project had to contain a full working kitchen; food stores and 36 cover open seating area. A feature of the space inspired us: a large exposed brick wall. We initially considered developing a set of re-usable stencils that could be applied to multiple sites. However it was then decided that something more bespoke was needed. A key component of the Chilango identity is vibrancy. This had to be at the heart of the graffiti piece. We also wanted to keep the illustration quite intricate so that Chilango regulars will find something new in the artwork on return visits. We adapted the Chilango wrestlers and applied them in a more 'street/city' style by using repeated stencils. The wall was painstakingly and lovingly created over a period of days and it was great for us to see it develop over this time. The wall really came together when the dark floor tiles went in and helped it sit back within the rest of the interior scheme. The contributing artists also worked with us on the application of additional wrestler elements to other areas of the restaurant as well as the decoration of the comment shrine to tie the brand message in throughout. The inclusion of a ‘food wall’ opposite the food preparation area provides visual stimulation for the guest whilst they wait. It contains fresh, genuine food used in the kitchen. The PVC curtains are manipulated on a stainless steel hanging system which allows for easy access to products not only for the staff but the transparent yellow means customers can see directly where their food is coming from. We wanted to create a Kitchen area that felt more like a theatre than food area. Guests are entertained by the transparency of cooking they can see and experience the preparation, cooking and service of their meal. By creating a screen around the counter at a height that allows staff to talk directly, and actively to the guest adds to the drama and occasion of the space. The core values are maintained through the use of street elements such as bespoke galvanised steel bins and steel shelving units which create the feeling of urban juxtaposed with vibrant colour way. Grey/ white lampshade lights hung from multicoloured lighting flex are further details that combine the urban cool with the fun vibrant twist. This new restaurant demonstrates the evolution of the Chilango brand and is brilliantly executed. The wall doesn't dominate the restaurant but provides an intriguing backdrop that is a pivotal element and talking point in the space. Crowds flock to Chilango for alternative lunchtime dining. A restaurant that executes fresh food with a lively dining experience; it is the true sense of Mexican lifestyle. The project has not only succeeded in helping the Chilango team understand, formulate, and express what is within themselves, but it has also created something that truly connects with and engages the guests- something that injects vibrant Mexican spirit into the heart of London. As for the numbers? Well, Chilango opened up at 7x the volume of its predecessor, Mucho Mas.