Dreyfus
French-ish dining in the Harbour Village
Industry
- Restaurant
- Food
Year
Services
- Branding & Identity

- Collateral
- Illustration
- Menus
- Signage
- Strategy
Brief
Dreyfus is a contemporary French restaurant and natural wine bar in Toronto, Canada. Named after Alfred Dreyfus, a French-Jewish artillery officer from the 1800s whose trial and false conviction is one of the most polarizing events in modern French history. Run by chef Zach Kolemeir, Dreyfus defines its cuisine as French-ish and made with love. Working closely with ownership, we were tasked with creating a brand identity that represented the restaurant’s esoteric style of cooking and its refined nonchalance, while also incorporating the historical significance of its namesake.
Finding
Through a series of in-depth client Q&As, we realized the importance of honoring Commander Dreyfus by reclaiming and satirizing the antisemitic propaganda that was levelled against him with a certain joie de vivre brought out through whimsical illustration. The Dreyfus identity is decidedly old-world but devoid of austerity. A brand for the man (or woman) about town, the Dreyfus identity was designed to feel sophisticated and sartorial.
