The Original Pancake House
The Original Pancake House was ready for a refresh. The franchise had been a Winnipeg staple for decades, with multiple locations and a recognizable name. But their visual identity hadn’t kept pace with the industry’s evolving food scene. New players like Stella’s had entered the market with modern interiors and up-to-date menus. The Pancake House needed something that felt familiar yet more unified—and more capable of supporting future growth.
They weren’t looking for a rebrand—just a logo update ahead of opening their first new location in decades. I started with a brand audit and found little consistency. Franchises across North America had been left to fend for themselves when it came to brand expression. The one constant was a much-interpreted image of a chef flipping a pancake—reproduced and photocopied into near-oblivion over the years. There was also strong local affection for a vintage restaurant sign.
ClientThe Original Pancake House
ProjectVisual IdentityYear2003
My solution: a bold, contemporary wordmark that subtly nodded to that vintage signage helped strike a balance between heritage and clarity. The chef was retired, but the flipping pancake lived on—reimagined as the “O” in “Original.” To begin creating consistency for the Canadian regional brand, we also incorporated a small maple leaf device, signalling a distinct visual look for the brand in Canada.
This project highlights how a logo—often the most visible and repeated touchpoint of a brand—can either support or undermine the entire brand experience. In this case, the existing mark was out of sync with the direction the business was headed. By addressing that weak link, we helped create a stronger, more cohesive identity—one that’s already supporting successful expansion into new locations.
Original design concept by Ron Sawchuk. Final design execution by Tom Boresky.
