Bar ‘Cino

A lively, intimate brand experience

Overview

On the verge of opening a Boston location of their newest brand, Bar ‘Cino (pronounced CHEE-no), longtime partners at the Newport Restaurant Group teamed up with ICS to reimagine the restaurant’s web presence.

Out of the gate, we identified the two main problems we’d have to solve: how do we make this site work for a restaurant with two — and possibly more — locations, and how do we make the online ordering through third party delivery companies as user-friendly and seamless as possible?

With the brand already established, we went into full on UX and wireframing mode, working out various approaches for how to ensure guests would be able to find the right menu for the location they were looking for. Like all restaurant projects we take on, we took a truly mobile-first approach to the design, ensuring all functionality was optimized for a user on their phone as we typically expect 60-80% of a restaurant’s traffic to be on mobile. On top of this, we had to provide flexibility for each location to have integrated menus and links for takeout, catering, private events, and more.

The final design integrates custom videography, location and food photography, and a bold but refined and welcoming UI that gives guests a sense of Bar ‘Cino before they set foot in the restaurant. The IA is built to drive guests to their chosen location with each location page providing a customized yet branded experience that makes it a breeze to view the menu, order takeout, or make reservations.