Salsa's Taco Bar

Salsa's Taco Bar is a neighborhood taqueria in Santa Cruz, CA that needed a brand as bold and unapologetic as the food. We built a retro-inspired system anchored by custom lettering, a hand-drawn chili mark, and six vibrant Pantones pulled from traditional Mexican graphics, then ran it across signage, menu, neon, and merch - one voice on every surface.

Salsa's Taco Bar is a neighborhood taco spot in Santa Cruz that needed to feel like a destination. The brief: own the block. Nothing quiet, nothing borrowed - a brand as loud and direct as the food itself.

We built a retro-inspired identity anchored by custom lettering and a hand-drawn chili mark, backed by six vibrant Pantones pulled from traditional Mexican graphics and a repeating brand pattern. The voice extends past the logo into attitude graphics like the 'no seas culero' mark - language the regulars actually use, on the wall where they eat. The menu system went through seven iterations from concept to final (the staged board is stage 7.2), and the identity carried into environmental work: neon signage, exterior wall treatment, and a branded tent.

From there it rolled onto merch - tees, embroidered caps, and more than fifteen pieces in total - every surface speaking with the same voice. Neon, color, type: everything loud on purpose.