You only have one chance to make a first impression, especially in business. Recently, the owner of a brand new local Chicago restaurant, Raffi's Locale reached out to us looking for a economical custom sign of their restaurant logo. The sign is to be placed in the dining area, where it will be seen by all the guests as they enjoy their meal. Since this sign will represent the restaurant and the own themselves, it has to impress.
The owner and his team had thought about making a sign with wood but quickly decided that that was not the best option. Wood can be heavy and requires a lot of prepping to make maintenance less involved. If the wood is not prepped and sealed correctly the paint will begin to chip and peel easily and the colors will eventually fade over time. The wood can also grow mold depending on the changes climate, which Chicago is infamous for. Over time a wood sign needs to be cleaned with specialized cleaners, sanded down so it can be repainted, and resealed to protect the paint. It takes time away from other tasks important to running a restaurant.
Glass was another possibility that was also quickly dismissed. A custom glass sign with color is very costly to manufacture. Not only is it expensive, glass is heavy and fragile. Hanging a sizable sign on a wall where there will be a traffic of people, some who may be rushing by, is incredibly dangerous. The sign could fall and potentially injure someone. Those shards can be immensely difficult to clean up and some might be left behind, which can still injure a guest or a staff member.
With those options out, acrylic is the sure fire solution for their signing needs. It's a much more economical option, which is important when your business is first starting. Acrylic is also phenomenally easy to maintain and clean. No special cleaning products, all you need is an ammonia free glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth gets the job done! The owner and staff of Raffi's Locale were delighted at how much lighter acrylic is as apposed to either glass or wood. Not only is acrylic lighter, it's also extremely durable and shatter resistant.These characteristics made instillation so much safer and easier when the sign was ready.
Acrylic can come in a variety of shades, colors, and hues. After browsing our catalogue, the perfect red and green for Raffi's Locale logo was found! This was an amazing relief for the owner and his design team because now they can have a sign that is cohesive to the logos through out the restaurant. So we got to work.
Raffi's design staff already had the necessary files to input into our acrylic laser cutter to cut out all the shapes and letters for the sign. Quick and easy as well as flawless. The pieces came out cut to perfection and when assembled it match the logo exactly! Just like that, the job was done! No need paint or varnish or anything excessive. Installing the sign on it's designated wall was exceedingly easy and it complimented the space perfectly! Now the dining area is complete and ready for guests!
