The Press Room

Eat. Drink. Rock. Repeat.

The Press Room is the longest running bar, restaurant, and live entertainment venue in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 2017, they closed their doors for some big renovations, re-emerging in late 2018 with a whole new look.

We wanted to do something truly unique that tied in The Press Room’s forty-year heritage and presence in the community. I incorporated their new branding elements into a newsprint paper menu and event calendar that could be distributed and free for the taking. The menu has since become its own ongoing publication, updated each month with new dishes, upcoming shows, and featured art. This project has been truly fun and collaborative as it adapts to new content and entices locals and tourists with art, music, and food.

Rooted in the modern—yet rebellious—rock ‘n’ roll theme of the newsprint menu, we created dozens of upcoming event posters, postcards, digital in-house displays, and other various marketing material to support the ongoing slew of events and seasonal menus.

The illustrations of the exterior and interior spaces were created for their website before the renovations were complete, capturing the new interior designs and exciting visitors for The Press Room’s long-anticipated re-opening.

More design projects: