Lead design
Yoko
Co-founded a modern Japanese restaurant in Évian, from concept to launch, defining brand identity, customer experience, and go-to-market strategy in a pre-COVID context.
Year :
2020
Industry :
Creative Restaurant
Client :
Yoko Fusion
Project Duration :
4 months
Origin Story
In 2019, after moving from Paris to Évian-les-Bains, we quickly noticed a lack of originality in the local restaurant scene.
Coming from a city rich in culinary diversity, we often craved change and new food experiences, particularly Japanese cuisine, which we deeply enjoyed.
Conversations with friends and locals confirmed the intuition: there was a real appetite for something new.
That’s when the idea of YOKO was born.
Context
We identified a strategic opportunity: a space was about to become available on a busy avenue, formerly a hair salon and office space.
We negotiated the lease, secured approval from the co-ownership, and obtained authorization to open a restaurant.
The project officially started with four partners, combining passion, complementary skills, and a shared vision.
Challenge and my Role
Create a distinctive restaurant concept in a conservative local market
Transform a non-hospitality space into a functional restaurant
Build a brand, team, and customer base from scratch
Launch a physical business just before an unprecedented global crisis
Design Lead & Project Manager
I was responsible for:
Global project vision and coordination
Brand identity and graphic design
Communication and customer touchpoints
Approach
1. Concept & business foundations
We built the project from the ground up:
Business plan
Culinary and brand concept
Financial structure through love money fundraising
2. Brand identity & visual design
I designed:
Logo and brand spirit
Visual identity aligned with Japanese inspiration and modern simplicity
Graphic assets: flyers, loyalty cards, website
3. Space & experience design
We:
Sourced furniture and decor
Selected wall art and painting partners
Designed a welcoming, coherent dining experience
4. Team & operational setup
Recruitment of a chef aligned with the concept
Staff training
Supplier selection and operational coordination
5. Launch & growth strategy
Website creation
Local communication and flyers
Loyalty program
Strong focus on word of mouth
Outcome
YOKO successfully opened in 2020, bringing a new culinary offering to Évian.
The restaurant operated for 6 months before the COVID crisis.
The project was closed in 2021, following pandemic restrictions and vaccination obligations impacting operations.
Despite its short lifespan, YOKO proved the viability of the concept and our ability to launch a physical business end-to-end.
Key Learnings
End-to-end project ownership in a real-world, high-risk environment
Strong alignment between brand, experience, and operations
Ability to lead complex projects beyond digital products
Resilience, adaptability, and pragmatic decision-making
Blog
More Projects
Lead design
Yoko
Co-founded a modern Japanese restaurant in Évian, from concept to launch, defining brand identity, customer experience, and go-to-market strategy in a pre-COVID context.
Year :
2020
Industry :
Creative Restaurant
Client :
Yoko Fusion
Project Duration :
4 months
Origin Story
In 2019, after moving from Paris to Évian-les-Bains, we quickly noticed a lack of originality in the local restaurant scene.
Coming from a city rich in culinary diversity, we often craved change and new food experiences, particularly Japanese cuisine, which we deeply enjoyed.
Conversations with friends and locals confirmed the intuition: there was a real appetite for something new.
That’s when the idea of YOKO was born.
Context
We identified a strategic opportunity: a space was about to become available on a busy avenue, formerly a hair salon and office space.
We negotiated the lease, secured approval from the co-ownership, and obtained authorization to open a restaurant.
The project officially started with four partners, combining passion, complementary skills, and a shared vision.
Challenge and my Role
Create a distinctive restaurant concept in a conservative local market
Transform a non-hospitality space into a functional restaurant
Build a brand, team, and customer base from scratch
Launch a physical business just before an unprecedented global crisis
Design Lead & Project Manager
I was responsible for:
Global project vision and coordination
Brand identity and graphic design
Communication and customer touchpoints
Approach
1. Concept & business foundations
We built the project from the ground up:
Business plan
Culinary and brand concept
Financial structure through love money fundraising
2. Brand identity & visual design
I designed:
Logo and brand spirit
Visual identity aligned with Japanese inspiration and modern simplicity
Graphic assets: flyers, loyalty cards, website
3. Space & experience design
We:
Sourced furniture and decor
Selected wall art and painting partners
Designed a welcoming, coherent dining experience
4. Team & operational setup
Recruitment of a chef aligned with the concept
Staff training
Supplier selection and operational coordination
5. Launch & growth strategy
Website creation
Local communication and flyers
Loyalty program
Strong focus on word of mouth
Outcome
YOKO successfully opened in 2020, bringing a new culinary offering to Évian.
The restaurant operated for 6 months before the COVID crisis.
The project was closed in 2021, following pandemic restrictions and vaccination obligations impacting operations.
Despite its short lifespan, YOKO proved the viability of the concept and our ability to launch a physical business end-to-end.
Key Learnings
End-to-end project ownership in a real-world, high-risk environment
Strong alignment between brand, experience, and operations
Ability to lead complex projects beyond digital products
Resilience, adaptability, and pragmatic decision-making
Blog
More Projects
Lead design
Yoko
Co-founded a modern Japanese restaurant in Évian, from concept to launch, defining brand identity, customer experience, and go-to-market strategy in a pre-COVID context.
Year :
2020
Industry :
Creative Restaurant
Client :
Yoko Fusion
Project Duration :
4 months
Origin Story
In 2019, after moving from Paris to Évian-les-Bains, we quickly noticed a lack of originality in the local restaurant scene.
Coming from a city rich in culinary diversity, we often craved change and new food experiences, particularly Japanese cuisine, which we deeply enjoyed.
Conversations with friends and locals confirmed the intuition: there was a real appetite for something new.
That’s when the idea of YOKO was born.
Context
We identified a strategic opportunity: a space was about to become available on a busy avenue, formerly a hair salon and office space.
We negotiated the lease, secured approval from the co-ownership, and obtained authorization to open a restaurant.
The project officially started with four partners, combining passion, complementary skills, and a shared vision.
Challenge and my Role
Create a distinctive restaurant concept in a conservative local market
Transform a non-hospitality space into a functional restaurant
Build a brand, team, and customer base from scratch
Launch a physical business just before an unprecedented global crisis
Design Lead & Project Manager
I was responsible for:
Global project vision and coordination
Brand identity and graphic design
Communication and customer touchpoints
Approach
1. Concept & business foundations
We built the project from the ground up:
Business plan
Culinary and brand concept
Financial structure through love money fundraising
2. Brand identity & visual design
I designed:
Logo and brand spirit
Visual identity aligned with Japanese inspiration and modern simplicity
Graphic assets: flyers, loyalty cards, website
3. Space & experience design
We:
Sourced furniture and decor
Selected wall art and painting partners
Designed a welcoming, coherent dining experience
4. Team & operational setup
Recruitment of a chef aligned with the concept
Staff training
Supplier selection and operational coordination
5. Launch & growth strategy
Website creation
Local communication and flyers
Loyalty program
Strong focus on word of mouth
Outcome
YOKO successfully opened in 2020, bringing a new culinary offering to Évian.
The restaurant operated for 6 months before the COVID crisis.
The project was closed in 2021, following pandemic restrictions and vaccination obligations impacting operations.
Despite its short lifespan, YOKO proved the viability of the concept and our ability to launch a physical business end-to-end.
Key Learnings
End-to-end project ownership in a real-world, high-risk environment
Strong alignment between brand, experience, and operations
Ability to lead complex projects beyond digital products
Resilience, adaptability, and pragmatic decision-making