The Raven’s Roost Coffee Co.
Coffee shops have always been a good place to study & read while sipping on your favorite drink, & The Raven’s Roost is the perfect location for coffee lovers with an interest in Gothic literature. With the iconic raven from one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most recognizable works as its logo, The Raven’s Roost welcomes all, with a dark academia aesthetic & drinks themed after famous Gothic works.
The Raven’s Roost focuses on fostering an environment that any coffee lover might enjoy, with a particular focus on enriching those who have an interest in Gothic literature, and weekly poetry nights for up & coming writers to share. We took inspiration from the dark academia aesthetic which mixes the darker themes of the gothic aesthetic with an academic twist to bring in bookshelves which we can fill with favorite Gothic works.
The logo itself takes the iconic raven from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” sitting it within a skull shaped coffee mug. Much of the original inspiration came from the idea of “Tempus Fugit” and the Vanitas art movement, pulling in multiple darker aesthetics to create an environment which felt gothic, even without iconic Gothic architecture to make the shop more accessible to exist in the public sphere. The logo may be modified to a simple silhouette on packaging & advertisements as long as the colors still reflect the brand & the raven itself is still able to be read.
There are multiple versions of the logo, with and without text. While the logo itself was designed to be recognizable as a silhouette & without text, in its entirety it includes the name of the brand: The Raven’s Roost. The title can be shifted to fit the shape of the design, however the Raven silhouette should never be changed for recognizability.
Earlier renditions of the logo included more colors & detail within the logo, however for ease & a sleeker look, the logo was simplified to a bicolor design with minimal detailing. The text itself has remained the same font, Gothicus Roman, however the placement of the text in the main logo design has been shifted since its original design.
Darker colors with off-white highlights & a pattern created out of repeating gothic manors can be found throughout the branding. For the sake of the Gothic aesthetic, as well as being an environment that encourages reading & writing, the colors are muted tones to maintain a calm & quiet environment unlike other coffee shops that might be louder and more social spaces.
Poetry nights further enrich the environment to encourage up & coming writers to share short works amongst their peers. As the logo itself comes from a famous poem, the poetry nights themselves are a part of the brand identity, and can be found at all locations.
The menu is printed on a chalkboard & hangs above the ordering station with a white chalk colored version of the logo, with text, printed at the top. Drink specials are seasonal & can be switched out, and every specialty drink is themed after a Gothic work from “The Portrait of Dorian Grey” to older classics such as “Carmilla.”
Products mainly cater to take home drink items. The exampled product above is a dark roast coffee, The New York Morning Mirror, putting a spin on the post that originally published Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” Product design utilizes design qualities from the overall brand including the raven’s silhouette & the Gothic manor patterning. The coffee bag designs also include a lace trim along the brew’s information to resemble an old doily.
We reach our customers mainly by advertising digital ads through social media platforms.
Overall, The Raven’s Roost aims to create an environment that is pleasant for coffee lovers & literature enthusiasts alike, and fosters a space for writing, reading, studying, and enjoying drinks.
