Mendocino Farms LLC introduced a rebranding this week that strips “sandwich market” from its signage and offers new trade dress and uniforms.
Kevin Miles, CEO of the Los Angeles-based fast-casual brand, said the refreshed look, which extends from signage and hats to cups and catering trays, was about a year and a half in the making. Besides uniforms and packaging, it also includes the brand’s website and ordering platform.
“We started this journey of really doing a lot of research around the brand — speaking with customers and team members and even our vendors alike — to understand what they think of the brand,” Miles said.
The new look will be retrofitted to existing units and be used as the brand expands, which will include new markets like Georgia, Miles said.
The CEO said that as Mendocino Farms’ menu has broadened with salad offerings and grain bowls, the new branding more accurately reflects the fast-casual concept’s focus. Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen founded the brand In Los Angeles in 2005. Miles was named CEO in July 2019.
The new look, based on an “Eat Happy” theme, is more an “evolution” of the brand, Miles said.
Mendocino Farms received an investment from Whole Foods Market Inc. in 2015.
The brand has 42 locations in California and Texas, including two delivery-only locations, the most recent of which opened in Oakland, Calif., in October 2021.
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