The first venue you see upon entrance is 1870, named after the year CSU was founded. 1870 specializes in hearty, more traditional fare, similar to what one might associate with CSU's roots as an agricultural school.
I worked with a historical archivist at the Fort Collins library to find this map of the city from the 1870s; it makes a perfect backdrop for the restaurant.
The wood on the wall was reclaimed from an out-of-use bowling alley, one of many examples of upcycling throughout the dining center. The logo is completely custom and drawn by hand.
Around the corner from 1870 is Theory, which is housed in a used shipping container. It focuses more on rotating trendy foods, similar to a hip pop-up kitchen.
We knew ahead of time that a container was coming, but we didn't know what color it might be or what markings it might have. My task was to create graphics that would look ok on a range of colors, and not detract from the natural patina or existing marks.
Detail shot of the container, and hand-drawn logo.
Just past Theory is The Creamery, a desert counter meant to mimic a 50's style soda fountain. The typography is again fully custom, and was super fun to render in LED lighting.
On the opposite of the wall from the LED sign, the same logo is cut out of brushed metal.
Each restaurant also featured custom designs for the menu boards, which are updated through Dining Services' online menu system.
Around the corner from the Creamery is Passport, which specializes in global cuisine. The graphics hearken to the golden age of flight, with the star of the show being the real airplane wing hanging over the counter.
When animated, Passport's menu board resembles the flight status screens found at airports.
The name of the Dining Center at large is The Foundry, which appears above the entrance in cut out metal letters.
Enamel mugs were ordered for the opening of the center and were an instant hit.
Right outside of the entrance to the dining center is this community kitchen, which is available for event space or just for students to use any time. I got to design a mural for the large back wall. Given that this dining center is connected to a residence hall with a high number of international students, I thought this quote from James Beard was a perfect fit.