Avala Grill: Logo Design for Authentic Serbian Restaurant
Logo Design Project | 2025
The Brief
My buddy from college, Nemanja, was launching a family-owned Serbian restaurant with his dad, and needed a brand identity that would honor generations of family recipes while standing out in his local food scene. This wasn't just another restaurant logo project, it was about helping a friend transform a passion for Serbian cuisine into a viable business that would attract customers from day one. This project was completed with a custom logo, menu design, t-shirts, and building signage that could work hard with minimal marketing budget.
The Challenge
Creating Avala Grill's brand meant walking the line between authentic Serbian culture and contemporary restaurant design. We needed to create something that would catch attention on busy streets, appeal to both Serbian-Americans and curious local foodies, and build something his family could grow with for years.
The Logo
I found inspiration in Mount Avala and its iconic tower from Serbia. Breaking down the tower's architecture led me to discover it naturally formed the letter "A" – which became the foundation for the entire wordmark. The oval version adds the mountain silhouette with a simple tagline connecting the restaurant name to both geography and cuisine.
The Process
I started by discussing Nemanja's family history and food traditions while reviewing photos of Mount Avala and Avala Tower together. My first concepts used the entire tower structure directly before I realized it wouldn't scale well for smaller applications. However, by separating the base from the rest of the tower, it revealed the natural "A" shape that was incorporated into the other letters in "AVALA."
The Color and Type
The black background with buttercream yellow creates a combination that stands out. This high-contrast pairing ensures visibility while remaining practical for production across all applications. Yeseva One was the font chosen to pair with the custom letterforms for "AVALA." These combinations are simple, yet effective and designed for ease in brand consistency
Brand in Action
A collection of branded assets and mockups.
T-Shirt Design
Menu Design
Building Signage Design
Marketing Banner
Project Outcome
The completed Avala Grill branding gave Nemanja everything needed to launch his restaurant with impact. The real success came when customers specifically mentioned being drawn in by the logo they spotted from the street. The design helped the restaurant stand out without requiring a big advertising budget, creating a solid foundation for this father-son team to build their family business around. This project proves that strategic design doesn't just make things look good – it directly drives customer action.
Testimonial
"Tommy of Vercetti Design was amazing to work with. Before designing my logo and other products, he took the time to have a conversation with me on what my ideas and expectations were for the design. Using his creativeness, he took a unique approach to how my font and logo would look. He explained the whole process of how he came up with the design for the logo, menu, and t-shirt. He also listened to revisions I wanted and implemented them accordingly. The results were more than spectacular! Customers come to my restaurant telling me that the logo on the sign caught their eye and wanted to come check it out. I can't thank Tommy enough for what he did for my business and will continue to use his services for any future projects!"
- Nemanja Pesevic | Owner, Avala Grill