Citron

Notrac Productions

Bringing Parisian style vegetarian salad bar to Tokyo

Services
Creative Direction, Visual Identity, Printed Materials (Menus, Cards, Posters), Signage Design

Context

When the French owner — a former investment banker — moved from Paris to Tokyo, he was surprised by how few vegetarian options were available in Japan. He also noticed that French cuisine in Japan was often associated with being “luxurious” or “high-end”. Wanting to introduce a more casual and accessible French food culture — like that found in France itself — he opened a 100% vegetarian and organic French salad bar and café.

Approach

By the time we were commissioned to work on the branding, the architectural firm had already developed the interior and exterior design, combining natural wood with industrial steel elements. Drawing inspiration from the vintage furniture and objects the owner had collected at flea markets for the interior, we designed the logo around the motif of an iron sign. To counterbalance the otherwise cold and rigid feel of the metal, we introduced curved lettering and a lemon icon, resulting in a look that is both stylish and approachable, with a warm, casual charm.

Outcome

Since opening in 2015, the venue has steadily grown in popularity and remains a favourite spot even after ten years. It has been featured widely in the media, including in the Louis Vuitton City Guide: Tokyo 2020, and has also provided catering for events such as those hosted by Netflix.