everyone has a seat at the table.
WHOO is a restaurant brand rooted in the shared food culture of Hunan and Hubei, two neighbouring provinces connected by the character “湖” (Hu, meaning “lake”).
Its name also draws from the Chinese idiom “五湖四海” — the five lakes and four seas — an expression for people coming together from different places. This idea became the foundation for a restaurant centred not only on regional food, but on connection, hospitality and belonging around the table.
Rather than looking to the refined visual codes often used to represent Chinese dining, we turned to where food feels most social: the everyday street table.
Street dining is informal, lively and familiar — a place where people sit close, share dishes and gather without ceremony. The red plastic stool, found across countless local eateries, became a simple symbol of this culture: ordinary, instantly recognisable and always associated with having a seat at the table.
The red plastic stool became the starting point for the identity. Its simple, familiar structure was abstracted into the WHOO logo, turning an everyday object into a recognisable brand symbol and carrying the idea of “a seat at the table” into the heart of the identity.
Typography brings a more restrained expression of Chinese visual culture, grounding the identity in its cultural context. In contrast, vibrant colour and playful graphic forms introduce the directness and energy of street dining. Together, these elements balance cultural familiarity with a more lively and contemporary character, creating an identity that feels distinctly Chinese without relying on conventional expressions of Chinese dining.
The identity turns “a seat at the table” from a brand idea into an experience that can run through the restaurant. From the first encounter with WHOO to sitting down, ordering, sharing and taking food away, each touchpoint reinforces the same sense of openness and informality.
Rather than treating Hunan and Hubei as regional references to be displayed, WHOO uses food and hospitality to bring the idea of “五湖四海” to life — creating a place where people from different backgrounds can gather, share a meal and feel that they belong.
Brand Design: Di Mao