The only way to describe this project is ‘serendipitous’. One day business partners Joao from Mozambique and Wole from Johannesburg strolled into our studio looking for Nic Tamlin Interior Design. Nic was overseas at the time but Roxy got to chatting with them about their business concept, and that’s how we landed the job for ourselves, and for Nic of course!

Inspired by the lively streets and markets of Italy, Cibo di Strada is a ‘museum’ of Italian food and culture – under one roof customers can eat, shop and learn about the different types of Italian street food to experience the authentic flavours of this city.

These spaces will be implemented in South Africa and Mozambique and are designed to adapt to different site sizes and combine the various offerings: an espresso bar, gelato bar, wine & cichetti bar, retail space selling Italian wines and delicacies, pizzarium and a pasta sugo bar.

When developing the brand identity, inspiration was taken from authentic Italian signage to create a unique handwritten script lettering combined with a clean and simple sans-serif font. We also designed a branding element in the form of a cheerful bicycle with its basket of wine and fresh produce, characteristic of the Italian shopper and lifestyle.

We loved collaborating with Nic on this project and can’t wait to see the Cibo di Strada spaces come to life!