Agency Adopts and Rebrands Japanese Restaurant

When COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting on-site dining impacted small restaurants around Los Angeles, advertising agency Arcana Academy feared for its favorite lunch spot, a Japanese bistro run by master chef Michiyo “Michi” Wilson. So, the agency turned its talents to a pro bono engagement refreshing and rebranding of the popular eatery, “Fresh in the Box,” to help it persevere.

Additionally, the agency partners ordered lunch from Michi every day for over a year. “We love the food and have the utmost respect for the kind of community Michi creates. She’s exactly the kind of person you want to see succeed,” explains Arcana co-founder Lee Walters. “These closures have been especially hard on many small, family-owned businesses, so, early on, we vowed to do everything we could to help make sure Michi comes out on the other side even stronger.”

The rebrand included a new logo, food photography, menu, table toppers, signage, and even a new name, “Michi Japanese Kitchen.” Arcana sought to awaken customers to Michi’s heritage and create the ambiance of a traditional Japanese home, where the environment signals soulful, home-cooked food. That meant a menu with sumptuous photography in rich, dark frames.

“The rebrand takes the restaurant to another level I didn’t think possible,” said Michi. “We’ve had a renewed energy with existing customers and even new customers. Recently, I had new customers come in that have lived in the neighborhood for over 17 years and just now realized we’re here.“

“We’re all involved in maintaining community, and one of the greatest ways we can do that is to donate our abilities,” said Arcana co-founder Shane Hutton. “We wanted to give Michi a gift that will generate money, pride and recognition over the long term. A project like this makes the power of advertising personal, endearing and soul rewarding. It’s also a fine showcase of what we do.”

AGENCY CREDITS

Advertising Agency: Arcana Academy

Executive Creative Director – Copy: Shane Hutton

Executive Creative Director – Design: Lee Walters

Sr. Graphic Designer – Jay Josue

About Arcana Academy

Arcana Academy is a Los Angeles-based creative advertising agency with a full post-production and audio suite. They create strategically sound solutions for branding, advertising, and marketing across new and traditional media channels. With world-class experience on some of the biggest brands in the world, they engage audiences emotionally and influence behavior to get desired results in a broad range of categories. Clients past and present include Jack Daniel’s, VW, Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines’ Paint, KILZ, KISS and Britney Spears.

About Michi Japanese Kitchen

Michi Japanese Kitchen is a Japanese restaurant focused on serving others and treating the environment with quality and respect and providing healthy, great-tasting foods crafted with care, using only the choicest ingredients. Michi grew up in a small town in northern Japan called, Obihiro, a place known for its natural beauty, pure water, and organic farms. That’s where her love of fresh ingredients was born.

Coming together with others to share good food and create joyful moments is the driving passion she brings to her kitchen, and guests, every day. From there, anything is possible.

Address: 13354 Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90066

URL: https://www.michijapanesekitchen.com

Instagram: @michijapanesekitchen