Restaurant copy for Kaana

Kaana’s dishes are inspired by the flavours of Southeast Asia, and in particular the food cooked by founder Symron’s grandma. With just a tagline in place (“Flavours to nourish your senses and feed the soul”), Symron tasked me with building the brand’s voice and rolling it out in-store and online.

Core messaging themes include the Southeast Asian inspiration, subtle spices (never overpowering), fresh ingredients, well-balanced meals, and the joy of taking the time to stop and enjoy your food.

In-store, strategically-placed pieces of copy on the walls introduce you to the brand with a relaxed vibe. I also worked on copy for the website, email flows, and a set of collectable cards which showcase key culinary styles and regions that inspire the brand.

But my favourite piece of copy for Kaana? The piece I wrote for the store’s external window. You can read it in the gallery above (just press the pause button!). It’s located in a busy area where people wait for friends or stop to chat – where they have time to read. Each line tells you about the flavours, quality of the food or type of person who’d eat at Kaana. I had a lot of fun with it, leaning into alliteration, rhyme and subtle humour.

And I was devastated that none of the dishes contained avocado. “Avocado aficionado” was ripe for the picking.