Utopian Tailgate
Early Summer 2018, my co-worker Sara Dennis and I attended a meeting with the owners of The Second City and future partners and executives from The fifty/50 Restaurant Group. We talked through the idea of using the massive roof above Second City for a bar that has games. Sara and I took the suggestion and ran with it, collaborating to create 4 different concepts that align with the prompt. Our personal favorite was “the perfect tailgate.” Basically we wanted to take the stress out of bringing a cooler and a grill, add great furniture, and worry a bit less about the game or concert while focusing on making memories with your friends.
Well, it worked. It’s real. And we’re real proud.
Check out the following articles and reviews about the space.
USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Time Out Chicago, & Eater Chicago
Our Process
At every point of seeing this process through, Sara and I looked to the tenants of "Yes, And" to guide us. We started with word association to craft the story of each of the concepts and the folks that would visit, eventually landing us on the phrase "Utopian Tailgate," the final concept and the name of the bar. The next step involved rigorous research to determine what exactly a Utopian Tailgate looked like. We started big, working down from four 40"x17" mood boards to three 8.5"x11" pages. From there, we created countless logo drafts, accepting each idea as a gift to inspire us to the next level. This continued as we received initial concepts from interior designers and architects. As new collaborators hopped on board, we worked in-the-moment as brand experts and creative consultants; directing the vision and heightening the concept to what it is today.
