Jacinta Rassan tucks clues to Savaari’s Indian roots in its custom wordmark with a Devanagari twist

In the heart of Sydney’s Inner West, a new dining experience is set to emerge. By day, the venue is known as The Stable Café, a warm and rustic space with barn-inspired interiors. By night, it transforms into Savaari, a modern Indian restaurant offering a culinary experience infused with the indigenous spices of South India. The brand identity for Savaari was crafted by local graphic designer Jacinta Rassan, who seamlessly blended traditional Indian influences with rustic Western aesthetics to create an immersive, one-of-a-kind brand identity. The goal was to create a sophisticated yet youthful identity that would captivate local diners while maintaining a sense of intrigue and discovery. The reimagined dining experience began with the name, proposed by Rassan to tie into the venue’s transformation from day to night. “In Hindi, ‘Savaari’ translates to ‘ride,’ while ‘Saavar’ means ‘rider.’ This choice of name weaves a linguistic connection to the brand’s Indian roots,” shares Rassan, who wove the narrative of the lone rider’s journey through South India, discovering spices and flavours along the way. The name exudes an aura of discovery, setting the tone for both the dining experience and the brand’s visual identity. It also mirrors the seasonal, ever-evolving menu, taking diners on a culinary adventure to showcase different regional flavours from South India.