With so many commercial choices for coffee in London and just about every city in the UK, a small, local, and highly personal experience is an attractive idea for many java lovers. The Haberdashery, a new restaurant in Crouch End, offers just this. The local and highly personal brand infiltrates the brand and the customer experience, which is sure to give this new small business a high chance of success.

Everything about The Haberdashery is small and personal. Instead of fussy furniture and complicated layered textiles, mismatched furniture fills the locations, which are otherwise simple and clean. A mosaic made of Victorian fireplace tiles is the key focal point. Food and drinks are served on a mismatched set of vintage style dishes, which are stored in stacks on the espresso machine or hung on the walls in a burst of color. Old vinyl records play vintage favourites on an old fashioned record player. The feeling of having a cup of coffee at a friend’s slightly chaotic but friendly UK home cannot be escaped. This impression is further driven home by the option of having your coffee or food in the location’s cosy garden.

The smaller and more personal image is supported by the range of food and drinks offered. A range of on-site baked goods tempt the palate with mundane favourites such classic scones to more exotic choices such as pear and cardamom Danish. Hot soups include unconventional choices such sweet potato and parsley. All foods are made with superior attention to detail and, where possible, local ingredients.

In addition to coffee, there are several beverage options from a respectable wine list to elderflower presse. The emphasis on simple but delicious ingredients infuses every aspect of the menu. In keeping with the artisan atmosphere, old fashioned green chalkboards are used for some of the in store signage.

The logo design complements this home grown brand perfectly. The words appear to have been typed on an old fashioned typewriter, with name of the store above the strapline, ‘eatery, coffee house, and old vinyls’. This simple logo and choice of words expresses everything about the business. The food and drink logo design wording is often seen written in a dark brown, which is very relevant to the beverage in question, on a burlap sack background similar to those used to store coffee beans. The relevance to the type of business combined with an expression of the simple, old fashioned style cannot be missed, making this logo a clear winner. There is no image, but in this case none is necessary.

Will this coffee shop be able to survive in London? Choices for coffee and pastries abound in this area. However, the customer who is tired of predictable choices will surely be enticed by the unconventional brand promise and impressed by the quality of the fare offered here. The brand combined with the professional logo design may not guarantee success, but it certainly gives The Haberdashery better odds.