Making Signs Meat

I recently received a call from Paul Lucchesi, owner of Petaluma, CA’s, Lucchesi’s Deli. He was looking for a simple banner to announce his plans to move the restaurant to a new site. I recognized this as an opportunity to showcase my talents in a high-visibility location that could garner more work, so I made him the banner.

A week later, Paul called me to say he liked the banner. He wanted me to come over and discuss menu signage for the deli’s new location.

I met Paul at his original location. The store was clean and the food was fragrant, but his menu comprised a handlettered, two-color board.

After I’d introduced myself, we toured his new store. Paul had been working with an interior designer and chosen warm, vibrant colors, sparing no expense to create an inviting place. I convinced him that premium signage would enhance the deli’s image.

Satisfied with our first meeting, he agreed to meet at my shop once I’d produced some rough designs and estimates. I wanted him to see sample panels of numerous available materials.

Brainstorming designs

Excited about the opportunity, I created a few pencil sketches and implemented my designs using Corel Corp.’s CorelDRAW