Piccolino restaurants bring the rustic charm of Italy to the cityscapes and suburban environments of the UK, serving both modern and classic Italian dishes in chic environments. Central to Piccolino is an emphasis on great food, where only the finest quality seasonal ingredients are used, and everything is freshly prepared and made in the restaurants by the chefs.

To convey both a sense of traditional Italian style and contemporary buzz, Opening Doors worked with the client to improve the physical environments of the restaurants whilst also engaging in brand consultancy and designing and implementing a broad range of integrated marketing communications.

This was achieved by firstly directing a professional photography shoot in Rome itself. The focus was on capturing the culture of the city and its people as reflected in their passion for fresh food. Working alongside award winning photographer David Loftus, who has vast experience in the food industry and a host of famous clients including Jamie Oliver and the River Café, the result was a wide range of fantastic and vibrant imagery, from the everyday life of residents in and around the food markets of Campo di Fiori, to the vivid colours of the fresh food on display, and the traditional architecture around the city.

Not only has this imagery been used for the purpose of wall mounted prints within all the Piccolino restaurants to great effect, it has also been used, alongside professional images of the restaurant’s dishes, to inform and inspire all of the marketing communications Opening Doors produced and continues to produce for the client, including the website, restaurant menus, invitations, posters, business cards, advertisements and map cards to name but a few.

To assist the restaurant in widening its appeal and communicating the freshness of its food further, Opening Doors were also responsible for designing a touring ice cream bicycle, and the creation of a series of flash animated games, books, and learning materials to coincide with the children’s ‘Bambini’ menu.