Company
Naming, Strategy, Branding, Interior Design and build, website, photography, video, Social Media. Additional Photos by Charles Kelso.
For nearly a decade we’ve worked with bars and restaurants to create unique experiences through branding. Years of involvement and collecting hospitality experience inspired us to open a place of our own. In Summer of 2022, we opened Company, a natural wine bar in Southeast Portland.
What was once an old garage is now a lively wine bar; hosting DJ nights, wine tastings, food pop ups, vintage markets and more. This project is an ongoing exploration of how branding, programming, interior design and curated offerings can be integrated to create both a successful business, and a great experience for guests.
Come on by!
The Name & Identity
The name Company came from our vision of building a place where people come together. We wanted it to feel like hosting at home, simple and warm. No extra fluff, no pretension. The tagline says it all: come for the drinks, stay for the company.
The branding is a reflection of Company itself. High brow meets low brow. Natural wine served in stemless glasses. The identity system balances a playful, bubbly wordmark with a softer, elegant script. A sage mint green carries across signage, menus and planters, tying everything together with the concrete walls and warm wood inside.
Interior
The interior leans into the garage bones. Concrete skim coat walls, a structural wood beam, and clamp lights with warm dimmed bulbs. Boho-style rugs and benches made from solid core doors on cinder blocks soften the roughness. It’s cozy, unpretentious, and fully DIY, done on a $10k budget with recycled materials and borrowed tools.
Exteriror
From the street, Company still looks like a garage but the energy changes outside. The large patio has a covered pergola, vintage folding chairs, small concrete tables and mint-green oil barrel planters. Unlike the picnic tables of most Portland patios, seating here is flexible. Pile on a bench, grab extra chairs, and make space for everyone.
Menu
The menu is more than a list, it’s a centerpiece. We repurposed an old light table as the serving counter, replacing the harsh glow with a warm light. The menu itself uses vinyl lettering and transparencies for easy updates. It’s interactive and ever-changing, setting the tone as soon as guests walk in.
Wine Club
Company’s wine club lives under its own sub-brand with a classic Bookman Swash lockup. Monthly pickups arrive in a unique three-pack box with windows to showcase the bottles. Each set includes a leaflet that breaks down regions, tasting notes and stories behind the wines.
Merchandise
With two designers at the helm, merch was inevitable. Shirts, totes, wine keys and more fill a dedicated retail section that guests gravitate toward. The designs feel like extensions of the brand and have been key in building a community of wine lovers and design enthusiasts.
Build Out
Opening Company on a $10k budget was as scrappy as it gets. We sourced recycled materials, borrowed tools and leaned into DIY solutions. Concrete skim coat, fresh paint, and clever design decisions turned an old garage into a space more refined than we imagined. If you're interested in learning more about how you can start a business of your own, please reach out to hello@oldfriend.co - we'd love to talk!
