Abmo serves up a cross-cultural culinary feast in their look for Gregory Marchand’s L’altro Frenchie

L’altro Frenchie – a fresh venture from Michelin-starred chef Grégory Marchand – is a time-travelling, globe-trotting gastronomic experience that marries 1950s New York’s Italian cuisine with British influences, all served up in 2024 Paris. To launch the eatery, Bordeaux-based branding studio Abmo crafted a visual narrative that captures the essence of L’altro Frenchie – a place where every meal is a celebration of cross-cultural creativity. Dez Gusta, Abmo’s Co-founder & Creative Director, explains the challenge – “We aimed to create an identity that’s as generous, twisted and elegant as the cuisine itself.” Taking a type-forward approach, the look stems from chef Gregory Marchand’s diverse culinary background and the restaurant’s unique concept. “Having worked with Marchand for nearly a decade,” Gusta tells us, “we know how his experiences in London with Jamie Oliver and with Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern in New York have infused his cuisine with an Anglo-Saxon influence. This international perspective extends to all Frenchie establishments, including his ‘Bar à Vin’ that daringly features international wines and English cheeses in Paris (imagine that!)” The fusion is reflected in the typography, whereby Abmo draws from vernacular Italian and American typographic elements, combined with a custom typeface called Frenchie Traulha, based on Yoann Minet’s Traulha, and originally whipped up for Marchand’s first restaurant a decade ago. This typographic base is accompanied by expressive handwriting – a recurring feature across all Frenchie establishments –  and playful illustrations. This, according to Gusta, results in an intriguing mix of elements that might not conventionally go together, but harmonise beautifully in this context. “The handwriting serves as a visual representation of Marchand’s personal imprint on each restaurant,” Gusta adds. “It’s like a signature that ties the brand together while allowing each location to express its own identity.”