High street restaurant wagamama recently appointed brand consultancy Pearlfisher to create their new takeaway experience.

Established in 1992, wagamama aims to make Japanese-inspired cuisine accessible for Western consumers.

Explaining the consultancy’s approach to the project, which encompassed both brand strategy and design, Mike Beauchamp, Pearlfisher 3D design director, said, “We conducted a full audit of the brand’s existing takeaway experience and worked in close collaboration with wagamama’s food development chefs to optimise a customised, take-out food solution which gave consumers the same quality of experience eating out of the restaurant as they do eating in.

“In the absence of staff, the design needed to tell the wagamama story, creating an intense and intimate experience to reflect the care and consideration that goes into every bowl of food. Part of our structural packaging design challenge was also to consider the real world journey of each takeaway meal. Packaging materials choice and form contribute to a system that performs functionally, improving heat retention and maximising freshness and presentation of every meal.”

He concluded, “The new takeaway experience – from the food preparation and delivery system, to structural packaging design – now directly connects to the brand idea of ‘sharing positively from bowl to soul’. The standard size and shape of the big and small bowl, is stackable for delivery and allows for practical and convenient storage in the restaurants. The various inserts provide the functional benefit of maintaining the integrity of different elements of the dish, whist also providing a well-presented meal on opening the lid. Each bowl is delivered as a complete package, wrapped with a belly-band that lists the full wagamama menu – so that the enclosed order can be indicated – and provides a considered place for the chopsticks.”

wagamama’s new takeaway experience debuted nationwide in the UK from 19th October.

Pearlfisher
www.pearlfisher.com