Project Summary
Harvey’s Garden is a new kind of gathering place in Syracuse—a community-focused food truck park and beer hall. M. Dietz Creative partnered with the founders to build the brand from the ground up: strategy, naming, identity, and environmental expression.
The Challenge
The founders envisioned a space where people could gather casually, enjoy local beer and food, and celebrate Syracuse pride. They needed a brand that was welcoming and unpretentious, while still differentiated in a crowded food-and-beverage market.
The Strategy
We rooted the brand in local history and community connection. Drawing inspiration from Harvey Baldwin—Syracuse’s first mayor, who dreamed of hanging gardens for the city—we positioned Harvey’s Garden as a comfortable, vibrant space that feels like “your best friend’s backyard,” yet grounded in Syracuse heritage.
Our Role
Strategy: Established Harvey’s Garden’s positioning as a Syracuse community hub, rooted in local history but designed to resonate with a modern audience. Defined target audiences, vision, mission, brand characteristics, and values to create a strong foundation for all creative decisions.
Identity Design: Created a logo system built around three pillars—beer, greenery, and heritage—supported by a bold color palette, typography system, and adaptable logo variations.
Messaging: Wrote brand messaging that captured Harvey’s Garden’s informal, welcoming spirit, including the tagline “Hang Together” and descriptor “Food Truck Park & Beer Hall.”
Environmental Concepting: Developed visionary concepts for the brand’s physical presence, including Syracuse’s first self-serve beer wall. Explored materiality by balancing the industrial character of the building with warmth through intentional wood tones, greenery, and branded graphics.
