News

Tony Packo's creates new fast casual brand

September 14, 2017

Toledo-based Tony Packo's has spun off a fast casual brand to serve its Hungarian hot dogs. Packo's Eastern European Kitchen, now open at 3348 Secor Road in Toledo, includes a drive-thru, a first for the Packo's restaurant group, which has three locations, a news release said.

The new brand features a combination of old and new décor to highlight the rich history of the Tony Packo's brand along with a new, updated Packo's logo, Emily Bennett, president of Tony Packo's Toledo, said in a company press release.

"With this new location we are able to bring the time-honored Tony Packo's tradition to the next level," she said. "Our guests will enjoy their favorite meal in a new and exciting space with comfort and convenience a high priority."

Tony Packo's partnered with Cleveland-based interior design and branding firm, Richardson Design, to create Packo's Eastern European Kitchen. It includes many of the authentic features of the original downtown Toledo location — Tiffany lamps, counter service, the famous signed buns and a similar menu — but has an updated look, said Kristie Oldham, partner at Richardson Design. The interior for example, has the feel of a modernized union hall, with subway tiled walls and a houndstooth flooring pattern.

"By using updated materials and modernized take-offs of authentic patterns in the interior, exterior and graphic design, we created a relevant yet time-honored experience," Oldham said in the release. "A service counter of white quartz includes Hungarian-inspired pattern detailing, and comfort features you'd find at grandma's house were introduced in a modern fashion." 

The studio focused on key historical features that define the Tony Packo's experience while considering what modern diners demand. For example, the restaurant will offer fast casual dining day and night with a drive-thru component, which is new for Packo's, Oldam said. Digital menu boards allow the restaurant to feature menu items and videos, in a modern high-tech way, but the building exterior includes traditional Hungarian pattern in the brick design.

"The thread that ties together Tony Packo's past and its refreshed brand is its quirky authenticity," she said. "We were called to refresh the brand by taking cues from Tony Packo's history and redefining those to create a relevant yet original experience."

The design team borrowed typography and graphic cues from Tony Packo's past to create hand-painted signs.

"A timeless logo was designed to wrap up the fun and variety of the Tony Packo's brand," Richardson Design Senior Graphic Designer Alex Hickey, said in the release. "The logo needed to be highly legible and have a feeling of permanence, reflecting Packo's as an establishment and destination in Toledo. The clean, bold logo was inspired by hand-painted signage and typography found throughout the city."

In creating the new Packo's design, the Richardson team reviewed artifacts from Tony Packo's history, digging through an attic of the restaurant's keepsakes.

"We want to hold on to the spirit of what makes Tony Packo's great but also innovate and update the brand to a fresh modern concept that reflects not only what our customers are asking for, but also includes current trends in the restaurant industry," Tony Packo's Toledo CEO Jimmy Harmon, said in the release.

"It was important that the new concept feel every bit as authentic and traditional as the original Tony Packo's, yet be refreshed so the experience is relevant and exciting for guests of all ages," Oldham said.

Packo's Eastern European Kitchen also includes a retail component, where clothing, grocery and other brand items are displayed in customized armoires and hutches. And, while the menu is the same, a modern take-off is a new Pickle and Paprika Bar that allows guests to garnish their meals with Tony Packo's pickles and peppers and an assortment of flavored paprika.

"The branding, in general, is just remarkable," Harmon said. "Our guests are excited about the growth of Tony Packo's. I've never seen a brand with so much passion and following. The Packo's Team is excited about growing the brand so we can serve the community and provide the great Tony Packo's food experience guests have enjoyed for generations."