Story Cafe
Bringing delightful, emotional and exhilarating stories into mundane routine.
October 18: a blustery Spring day in Lane Cove, Sydney. A small coffee shop, months in the making, grinds its first 18g of beans.
Before long, a small crowd gathers. Are they drawn to the mysterious energy of the place, the pervasive sense that dramatic events might unfurl at any moment? Or perhaps they're simply attracted by the aroma of freshly-blitzed beans.
Either way, the start of any day is the start of a new story… and today’s story is how Story got its new brand.
Hospitality Brand Strategy Brand Identity Brand Voice Packaging
Story Cafe
Bringing delightful, emotional and exhilarating stories into mundane routine.
October 18: a blustery Spring day in Lane Cove, Sydney. A small coffee shop, months in the making, grinds its first 18g of beans.
Before long, a small crowd gathers. Are they drawn to the mysterious energy of the place, the pervasive sense that dramatic events might unfurl at any moment? Or perhaps they're simply attracted by the aroma of freshly-blitzed beans.
Either way, the start of any day is the start of a new story… and today’s story is how Story got its new brand.
Hospitality Brand Strategy Brand Identity Brand Voice Packaging
Story Cafe
Bringing delightful, emotional and exhilarating stories into mundane routine.
October 18: a blustery Spring day in Lane Cove, Sydney. A small coffee shop, months in the making, grinds its first 18g of beans.
Before long, a small crowd gathers. Are they drawn to the mysterious energy of the place, the pervasive sense that dramatic events might unfurl at any moment? Or perhaps they're simply attracted by the aroma of freshly-blitzed beans.
Either way, the start of any day is the start of a new story… and today’s story is how Story got its new brand.
Hospitality Brand Strategy Brand Identity Brand Voice Packaging
Chapter 1: add a few cups of story
“We can’t do this, right?” It was a good idea, for sure — playing with different forms of storytelling, and seeing how they might work on coffee cups. But the print deadline was just around the corner, and they hadn’t figured any of it out. For example, a branching path story that resolves… in that amount of space? A properly formatted screenplay able to wrap around a cup? Hell, one post-it note idea just said ‘poem’. They had to be reasonable. “We just don’t have enough time.” Murmurs of agreeance faded into a glum silence. Then, tentatively: “On the other hand, if we did pull it off... it’d be a pretty good story.”
Chapter 1: add a few cups of story
“We can’t do this, right?” It was a good idea, for sure — playing with different forms of storytelling, and seeing how they might work on coffee cups. But the print deadline was just around the corner, and they hadn’t figured any of it out. For example, a branching path story that resolves… in that amount of space? A properly formatted screenplay able to wrap around a cup? Hell, one post-it note idea just said ‘poem’. They had to be reasonable. “We just don’t have enough time.” Murmurs of agreeance faded into a glum silence. Then, tentatively: “On the other hand, if we did pull it off... it’d be a pretty good story.”
Chapter 1: add a few cups of story
“We can’t do this, right?” It was a good idea, for sure — playing with different forms of storytelling, and seeing how they might work on coffee cups. But the print deadline was just around the corner, and they hadn’t figured any of it out. For example, a branching path story that resolves… in that amount of space? A properly formatted screenplay able to wrap around a cup? Hell, one post-it note idea just said ‘poem’. They had to be reasonable. “We just don’t have enough time.” Murmurs of agreeance faded into a glum silence. Then, tentatively: “On the other hand, if we did pull it off... it’d be a pretty good story.”
Chapter 2: FINDING THE PROTAGONIST
Every story needed a protagonist. You understood that, implicitly. So as you looked around, you couldn’t help but wonder... if this is a Story, then where is the protagonist? As you lifted your mug, you saw that the saucer predicted a series of scandalous proceedings would follow. The croissant box promised action. The receipt foretold romance. But who was this all going to happen to? After all, there was nobody else around. Nobody at the start of all stories... except you. Ohhhhhhh.
Chapter 2: FINDING THE PROTAGONIST
Every story needed a protagonist. You understood that, implicitly. So as you looked around, you couldn’t help but wonder... if this is a Story, then where is the protagonist? As you lifted your mug, you saw that the saucer predicted a series of scandalous proceedings would follow. The croissant box promised action. The receipt foretold romance. But who was this all going to happen to? After all, there was nobody else around. Nobody at the start of all stories... except you. Ohhhhhhh.
Chapter 2: FINDING THE PROTAGONIST
Every story needed a protagonist. You understood that, implicitly. So as you looked around, you couldn’t help but wonder... if this is a Story, then where is the protagonist? As you lifted your mug, you saw that the saucer predicted a series of scandalous proceedings would follow. The croissant box promised action. The receipt foretold romance. But who was this all going to happen to? After all, there was nobody else around. Nobody at the start of all stories... except you. Ohhhhhhh.
Chapter 3: a monstrous logo
The monster was not a Lane Cove local — his horns and his minimal fashion sense made as much clear. But he was welcomed nonetheless, as there was a sweetness in his big eyes (and only a minor smell to his fur). When he discovered the warmth and agreeable vantage point of the cafe’s lightbox, he moved in full-time — and now sits there quietly, listening to stories, enjoying the scent of single-origin lattes, and gently infusing his new home with his magic.
Chapter 3: a monstrous logo
The monster was not a Lane Cove local — his horns and his minimal fashion sense made as much clear. But he was welcomed nonetheless, as there was a sweetness in his big eyes (and only a minor smell to his fur). When he discovered the warmth and agreeable vantage point of the cafe’s lightbox, he moved in full-time — and now sits there quietly, listening to stories, enjoying the scent of single-origin lattes, and gently infusing his new home with his magic.
Chapter 3: a monstrous logo
The monster was not a Lane Cove local — his horns and his minimal fashion sense made as much clear. But he was welcomed nonetheless, as there was a sweetness in his big eyes (and only a minor smell to his fur). When he discovered the warmth and agreeable vantage point of the cafe’s lightbox, he moved in full-time — and now sits there quietly, listening to stories, enjoying the scent of single-origin lattes, and gently infusing his new home with his magic.
CHAPTER 4: THE (COFFEE BEAN PACKAGING) ART OF STORY
The opportunity to use the rotating selection of blends to feature the stories of local artists — in their own words, and in their own style — was exciting. After all, stories don’t necessarily require words, so shouldn’t they reflect that? But what if there were delays? What if an artist pulled out unexpectedly? “Well, I did write those ‘Letter From a Stranger’ stories, and we never figured out where to put them...” Oh. Of course. They’d be the back-ups. They wish they could say they planned it. But sometimes, you drive a story... and sometimes, a story happens to you.
CHAPTER 4: THE (COFFEE BEAN PACKAGING) ART OF STORY
The opportunity to use the rotating selection of blends to feature the stories of local artists — in their own words, and in their own style — was exciting. After all, stories don’t necessarily require words, so shouldn’t they reflect that? But what if there were delays? What if an artist pulled out unexpectedly? “Well, I did write those ‘Letter From a Stranger’ stories, and we never figured out where to put them...” Oh. Of course. They’d be the back-ups. They wish they could say they planned it. But sometimes, you drive a story... and sometimes, a story happens to you.
CHAPTER 4: THE (COFFEE BEAN PACKAGING) ART OF STORY
The opportunity to use the rotating selection of blends to feature the stories of local artists — in their own words, and in their own style — was exciting. After all, stories don’t necessarily require words, so shouldn’t they reflect that? But what if there were delays? What if an artist pulled out unexpectedly? “Well, I did write those ‘Letter From a Stranger’ stories, and we never figured out where to put them...” Oh. Of course. They’d be the back-ups. They wish they could say they planned it. But sometimes, you drive a story... and sometimes, a story happens to you.
CHAPTER 5: ONE GOOD SIGN AFTER ANOTHER
“We’re very excited to tell your story, and the stories of all of the other objects here,” we said to the sandwich board. The sandwich board jostled, agitated. “What? You think a sandwich board can’t tell a story?” “No, of course, we just thought we--” The sandwich board snapped shut suddenly and authoritatively. “I’ll tell my own story, thank you very much. We all will.” We nodded to indicate we understood and then slunk away, deeply embarrassed.
CHAPTER 5: ONE GOOD SIGN AFTER ANOTHER
“We’re very excited to tell your story, and the stories of all of the other objects here,” we said to the sandwich board. The sandwich board jostled, agitated. “What? You think a sandwich board can’t tell a story?” “No, of course, we just thought we--” The sandwich board snapped shut suddenly and authoritatively. “I’ll tell my own story, thank you very much. We all will.” We nodded to indicate we understood and then slunk away, deeply embarrassed.
CHAPTER 5: ONE GOOD SIGN AFTER ANOTHER
“We’re very excited to tell your story, and the stories of all of the other objects here,” we said to the sandwich board. The sandwich board jostled, agitated. “What? You think a sandwich board can’t tell a story?” “No, of course, we just thought we--” The sandwich board snapped shut suddenly and authoritatively. “I’ll tell my own story, thank you very much. We all will.” We nodded to indicate we understood and then slunk away, deeply embarrassed.
“In our industry, you can’t afford to miss that second chance with a customer. Because of this branding, people are coming back, staying, getting into the spirit of it all — and buying coffee! It’s been great and succeeded all our expectations. Because of this, we’re doing better than the rest of the market, and it’s only been six months. The feedback has been out of control and beyond our expectations.”
— Richie Chai, Story Espresso owner
“In our industry, you can’t afford to miss that second chance with a customer. Because of this branding, people are coming back, staying, getting into the spirit of it all — and buying coffee! It’s been great and succeeded all our expectations. Because of this, we’re doing better than the rest of the market, and it’s only been six months. The feedback has been out of control and beyond our expectations.”
— Richie Chai, Story Espresso owner
“In our industry, you can’t afford to miss that second chance with a customer. Because of this branding, people are coming back, staying, getting into the spirit of it all — and buying coffee! It’s been great and succeeded all our expectations. Because of this, we’re doing better than the rest of the market, and it’s only been six months. The feedback has been out of control and beyond our expectations.”
— Richie Chai, Story Espresso owner
CHAPTER 6: THE NEVER-ENDING STORY
Of course, this was just the start. One charming coffee spot would soon become two, and surely two would shortly thereafter become four. Each would need their own unique way of expressing the Story experience. The possibilities were endless, but the specifics were unclear. But they weren't concerned. After all, venturing into the unknown, and adapting to what was found there, was at the very heart of Story.
CHAPTER 6: THE NEVER-ENDING STORY
Of course, this was just the start. One charming coffee spot would soon become two, and surely two would shortly thereafter become four. Each would need their own unique way of expressing the Story experience. The possibilities were endless, but the specifics were unclear. But they weren't concerned. After all, venturing into the unknown, and adapting to what was found there, was at the very heart of Story.
CHAPTER 6: THE NEVER-ENDING STORY
Of course, this was just the start. One charming coffee spot would soon become two, and surely two would shortly thereafter become four. Each would need their own unique way of expressing the Story experience. The possibilities were endless, but the specifics were unclear. But they weren't concerned. After all, venturing into the unknown, and adapting to what was found there, was at the very heart of Story.
Credits
Recognition
In this distance, For The People sees a towering figure: Richie Chai, owner of Story Espresso. FTP wants to call out to Richie – to express what Richie's trust meant to them, to reminisce about how joyful the project was... to simply say "thank you".
But they can't – for the scenario described is a short fiction, written to communicate appreciation on a case study page.
FTP resolves to send him a nice letter sometime, instead.
Strategy
Damian Borchok
Storytelling
Mat Groom, Arielle Bodenstein, Daniel St Vincent
Design
Jason Little, Olivia King, Chris van Niekerk, Kinal Ladha, Pete Conforto
Illustration
Ilana Bodenstein
Typefaces
Cooper – Paratype
DM Mono – Google Fonts
Awards
D&AD
Awards
Graphite Pencil – Writing for Design (Storytelling)
Graphite Pencil –Graphic Design (Applied Print Graphics)
Wood Pencil – Writing for Design (Graphic)
Wood Pencil – Writing for Design (Packaging)
AGDA
Awards
Pinnacle – Brand Expression (Voice)
Distinction – Brand Identity (Small Business)
Distinction – Brand Expression (Physical)
Distinction – Writing for Design
Distinction – Brand Book and Guidelines
Distinction – Brand Expression (Voice) x2
Merit – Brand Expression (Physical)
Merit – Writing for Design
Merit – Campaign
Merit – Writing for Design
Best Design Awards
Silver – Small Brand Identity
Transform
Awards ANZ
Winner – Best Overall Visual Identity
Gold – Tone of Voice
Gold – New Brand
Gold – Best Visual Identity (Food and Beverage Sector)Featured
Brand New
The Brand Identity
Creative Review
In this distance, For The People sees a towering figure: Richie Chai, owner of Story Espresso. FTP wants to call out to Richie – to express what Richie's trust meant to them, to reminisce about how joyful the project was... to simply say "thank you".
But they can't – for the scenario described is a short fiction, written to communicate appreciation on a case study page.
FTP resolves to send him a nice letter sometime, instead.
Strategy
Damian Borchok
Storytelling
Mat Groom, Arielle Bodenstein, Daniel St Vincent
Design
Jason Little, Olivia King, Chris van Niekerk, Kinal Ladha, Pete Conforto
Illustration
Ilana Bodenstein
Typefaces
Cooper – Paratype
DM Mono – Google Fonts
Recognition
Awards
D&AD
Awards
Graphite Pencil – Writing for Design (Storytelling)
Graphite Pencil –Graphic Design (Applied Print Graphics)
Wood Pencil – Writing for Design (Graphic)
Wood Pencil – Writing for Design (Packaging)
AGDA
Awards
Pinnacle – Brand Expression (Voice)
Distinction – Brand Identity (Small Business)
Distinction – Brand Expression (Physical)
Distinction – Writing for Design
Distinction – Brand Book and Guidelines
Distinction – Brand Expression (Voice) x2
Merit – Brand Expression (Physical)
Merit – Writing for Design
Merit – Campaign
Merit – Writing for Design
Best Design Awards
Silver – Small Brand Identity
Transform
Awards ANZ
Winner – Best Overall Visual Identity
Gold – Tone of Voice
Gold – New Brand
Gold – Best Visual Identity (Food and Beverage Sector)Featured
Brand New
The Brand Identity
Creative Review
Credits
Recognition
In this distance, For The People sees a towering figure: Richie Chai, owner of Story Espresso. FTP wants to call out to Richie – to express what Richie's trust meant to them, to reminisce about how joyful the project was... to simply say "thank you".
But they can't – for the scenario described is a short fiction, written to communicate appreciation on a case study page.
FTP resolves to send him a nice letter sometime, instead.
Strategy
Damian Borchok
Storytelling
Mat Groom, Arielle Bodenstein, Daniel St Vincent
Design
Jason Little, Olivia King, Chris van Niekerk, Kinal Ladha, Pete Conforto
Illustration
Ilana Bodenstein
Typefaces
Cooper – Paratype
DM Mono – Google Fonts
Awards
D&AD
Awards
Graphite Pencil – Writing for Design (Storytelling)
Graphite Pencil –Graphic Design (Applied Print Graphics)
Wood Pencil – Writing for Design (Graphic)
Wood Pencil – Writing for Design (Packaging)
AGDA
Awards
Pinnacle – Brand Expression (Voice)
Distinction – Brand Identity (Small Business)
Distinction – Brand Expression (Physical)
Distinction – Writing for Design
Distinction – Brand Book and Guidelines
Distinction – Brand Expression (Voice) x2
Merit – Brand Expression (Physical)
Merit – Writing for Design
Merit – Campaign
Merit – Writing for Design
Best Design Awards
Silver – Small Brand Identity
Transform
Awards ANZ
Winner – Best Overall Visual Identity
Gold – Tone of Voice
Gold – New Brand
Gold – Best Visual Identity (Food and Beverage Sector)Featured
Brand New
The Brand Identity
Creative Review
Acknowledgement of Country
The For The People team are spread across the world – but the majority of us currently live on the land known most commonly today as “Australia”. This land has been home to designers, artists, storytellers and planners for tens-of-thousands of years – so our time contributing to these crafts constitutes only a near-infinitesimally small fraction of that history. It’s with profound admiration and deep respect, then, that we acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country and extend that respect to Elders past and present. They shaped (and continue to shape) the history of this land, they cared for (and continue to care for) its natural environment, and they never ceded its sovereignty. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Acknowledgement of Diversity
All fields are improved by diversity – but that's especially true for creativity. We welcome everyone – the neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQI+ community, all (legal working) ages, all ethnicities, all genders, parents, those from unconvential educational backgrounds, people with disability – because we believe both our work and our workplace are improved by diversity of thought and perspective, which can only truly come from diversity of culture and experience. Having said that, we also know we can't simply reap the benefits of diversity without reckoning with the inequities so often suffered by less represented communities. We work to be mindful of our biases, to incorporate proactive representation into our processes, and elevate marginalised voices in our work. It's a forever-ongoing–and–improving process – but it's non-negotiable when you're building an agency that's For The People.
Designed and built by For the People ©2025
Acknowledgement of Country
The For The People team are spread across the world – but the majority of us currently live on the land known most commonly today as “Australia”. This land has been home to designers, artists, storytellers and planners for tens-of-thousands of years – so our time contributing to these crafts constitutes only a near-infinitesimally small fraction of that history. It’s with profound admiration and deep respect, then, that we acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country and extend that respect to Elders past and present. They shaped (and continue to shape) the history of this land, they cared for (and continue to care for) its natural environment, and they never ceded its sovereignty. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Acknowledgement of Diversity
All fields are improved by diversity – but that's especially true for creativity. We welcome everyone – the neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQI+ community, all (legal working) ages, all ethnicities, all genders, parents, those from unconvential educational backgrounds, people with disability – because we believe both our work and our workplace are improved by diversity of thought and perspective, which can only truly come from diversity of culture and experience. Having said that, we also know we can't simply reap the benefits of diversity without reckoning with the inequities so often suffered by less represented communities. We work to be mindful of our biases, to incorporate proactive representation into our processes, and elevate marginalised voices in our work. It's a forever-ongoing–and–improving process – but it's non-negotiable when you're building an agency that's For The People.
Acknowledgement of Country
The For The People team are spread across the world – but the majority of us currently live on the land known most commonly today as “Australia”. This land has been home to designers, artists, storytellers and planners for tens-of-thousands of years – so our time contributing to these crafts constitutes only a near-infinitesimally small fraction of that history. It’s with profound admiration and deep respect, then, that we acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this country and extend that respect to Elders past and present. They shaped (and continue to shape) the history of this land, they cared for (and continue to care for) its natural environment, and they never ceded its sovereignty. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Acknowledgement of Diversity
All fields are improved by diversity – but that's especially true for creativity. We welcome everyone – the neurodiverse, members of the LGBTQI+ community, all (legal working) ages, all ethnicities, all genders, parents, those from unconvential educational backgrounds, people with disability – because we believe both our work and our workplace are improved by diversity of thought and perspective, which can only truly come from diversity of culture and experience. Having said that, we also know we can't simply reap the benefits of diversity without reckoning with the inequities so often suffered by less represented communities. We work to be mindful of our biases, to incorporate proactive representation into our processes, and elevate marginalised voices in our work. It's a forever-ongoing–and–improving process – but it's non-negotiable when you're building an agency that's For The People.
Designed and built by For the People ©2025