Little chef, big mischief

The roadside chain Little Chef has been in decline over recent years, its former owners went into administration in 2007. To counteract the interminable decline of the brand, TV chef Heston Bluementhal was drafted in to spearhead a media campaign including a Channel 4 documentary – Big Chef takes on Little Chef – resulting in efforts to raise the quality of the menu, customer service and a redesign of the interior and company branding.

I had an interview with our designers David Davis and Peter Brown to find out their impressions regarding Little Chef’s updated design.

DD: You need to be careful if you are not going follow the established colours for rest areas, the typical chocolate coffee colours. Blue is a cold colour and can give off an air of hospital like clinical-ness. ARD (Ab Rogers Design) have clearly devoted plenty of time to sky blue thinking and hats off to them for trying something radically different. However I am a little concerned how the brand will fare across the whole network.

PB: The red vinyl upholstery and pendant lighting adds a bit of warmth, however overall the design looks cool in both senses... it's a very modern European look.

DD: It’s quite a departure from their previous branding. I agree with you about the warmth factor. You would assume an everyman’s chef like Jamie O. would have been more appropriate.

PB: He was probably booked up David. Heston can get up people’s noses.

DD: Agreed. I do wonder how costly the rebranding project has been and whether they overspent on Heston. He's not going to go down well with the white van man types.

PB: It’s all a bit fussy and, erm, cute. I can see this design working in the more wealthy corridors of England… that kind of informed pop nostalgia…

DD: They opened 10 new stores across the UK, it’s quite a wide spread, not just the wealthier regions.

PB: Probably test marketing. I hear that Venture 3 did the rebranding.

DD: Very colourful. Very POP.

PB: But look at those people, they’re a little on the obese side?

DD: Which ones?

[PB points to photo, top right]

PB: Their branding strategy seems a little muddled. It looks like they are aiming to Europeanise roadside restaurant sector bringing style where there used to be British stodginess. The interior now stands in complete contrast to the menu offering which according to Delicious review is a somewhat meaty affair.

DD: I really wonder how this brand strategy is going to fare whether they plan to replicate across their entire network. We're just into the beginning of the year and I hear 67 Little Chef sites have closed. Whether this is prudent consolidation or cost-cutting to pay for the rebrand, it looks like there are some turbulent times ahead.