Retro burger chain Johnny Rockets is celebrating its 30th birthday with a brand refresh. The 1950s-style diners, known for their dancing servers and jukeboxes, are getting a modern upgrade along with a new logo. Working alongside Columbus, Ohio-based branding and design firm WD Partners, Johnny Rockets pursued a more adaptable restaurant model with a smaller footprint to equip the chain for future growth.
The Johnny Rockets 2.0 design utilizes warm wood planking and white brick veneers. Updated lighting comes in the form of contemporary and industrial glass globe pendants, complete with caged pendants and red accents. Sleek dark wood siding finishes the counters, complementing the lighter colored countertop that accentuates the more modernized interiors. Warm gray tones appear in the upholstered booths, tables, and chairs, along with wood detailing and splashes of red. White wall tiles and steel panels grace the open kitchen.
“Special consideration was given to the seating in the redesign. We wanted to maintain some of the elements of the classic diner including counter seating,” says James Walker, Johnny Rockets’ president of operations and development. “We’ve updated the seating so that everything is not fixed in place and added areas where friends and family can eat together at communal tables.”
The new design coincides with the brand’s new drive-thru and express locations, which are scheduled to open later this summer. The rebranding will be kicked off with the opening of a new location at the Destiny USA Mall in Syracuse, New York, with 15 new restaurants debuting the new logo and design over the next five months.
