Part Two: A Creative Feast
August 19, 2026
No agency could ask for a better client than Parasole, a truly creative, brand-driven company that has given us extraordinary access into its creative process by making Supervox part of its “kitchen cabinet.” Working with Phil Roberts and team, we don’t just birth concepts; we conceive them
Moreover, we’ve partnered with Parasole on dozens of consulting projects and worked with a host of restaurant and hospitality clients on our own, including Rebound Hospitality. This Minnesota-based company originally approached us to help brand its new acquisition in downtown Des Moines, Iowa – the unfortunately named Suites of 800 Locust. Following an extensive renovation, we launched the Des Lux Hotel, a jewel of a property that invited weary travelers to “Check in, Breathe Out.” It was a hit, and we followed it up with work on the Archer House Inn in Northfield, Minnesota; Hotel Winneshiek in Decorah, Iowa; and Celeste of St. Paul, a former convent turned luxury hotel adjacent to Minnesota Public Radio and the Fitzgerald Theater. Along the way, Rebound also engaged us to create restaurant brands including Reunion and Gong Loco in Northfield, Minnesota.
Ask any design/branding agency what they truly love to work on, and they’ll tell you that restaurant and hospitality environments occupy a category of their own. That’s because these are experiential environments that people physically enter and interact with. Some brands you see. Others you touch. Restaurant brands, you ingest. The breadth and depth of the experience create endless opportunities for brand messaging.
Through Parasole, we were introduced to our largest client: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. That relationship began in 2010, when both Firebirds and Supervox attended a restaurant industry finance conference in Las Vegas. Following a presentation that showcased a selection of our work, we were approached by the Firebirds principals, who wanted to bring some of that attitude to their own brand. Sixteen years – and three changes of ownership and marketing departments – later, we’re still working together.
Firebirds is a true restaurant industry success story, with a record of steady expansion and year-over-year sales and profit growth in the extraordinarily tough polished casual category. The secret to its success? Great food, obviously, plus remarkable value, a welcoming ambiance, and rock-solid operational integrity. But there’s something else that Firebirds absolutely nailed: that elusive balance between predictability and dynamism. Guests know what they’re going to get at Firebirds, but the experience always feels fresh. Moreover, it’s an extremely well-tended concept that never feels like it’s being run on autopilot.
We need to take a moment here to highlight just how well-run this company is. Having seen how Buca di Beppo and Oceanaire stumbled in their race to expand, we marvel constantly at how carefully Firebirds has managed its growth, resisting the temptation to make a quick buck and instead looking at the long term. From the quality of Firebirds’ site selection to the meticulously calculated evolution of its menu, to the masterful way this concept navigated the pandemic, it’s no wonder they’re considered one of the shining stars in their category.
It’s our job in part to communicate the Firebirds brand promise, and we do that across a vast range of tactics aimed at simultaneously reassuring and intriguing the guest. Everything from email communication to menu design is crisp and consistent, familiar yet vibrant, and – true to the category – carefully polished. Among all the attributes we convey is a subtle yet powerful message that Firebirds takes nothing for granted. Every aspect of the dining experience is thought-through and considered with an eye to satisfying the guest.
We provide creative, strategic, copywriting, branding, design and production services across consumer touchpoints, including menu development, limited time offerings, new restaurant openings, HR and recruitment, annual conferences, community initiatives, corporate branding, loyalty programs, and gift cards. Moreover, we’ve also created two additional brands for Firebirds: Noodles & Greens and FireBurger.
Obviously, we’re proud of the work we’ve done for Firebirds, but we’re even prouder of the relationship we have cultivated. It’s hard to describe how much effort our team has put into maximizing Supervox’s ability to respond quickly to whatever the client needs and to managing the intricacies of how the brand is applied in countless applications across multiple geographies. Every day, throughout the day, Greg Dahlager, the account supervisor, and Anna McKenna, the chief designer for this client, demonstrate just how invested they are in Firebirds’ success. If you’ve ever worked with a multi-location restaurant client, you know how demanding this sector can be. Needs can arise out of the blue, and they’re always urgent. So while you plan for the future, there’s no end to the fires you’re putting out in the present.
And speaking of planning for the future: It only works to a degree. We imagined that Supervox’s sweet spot would always be restaurants and hospitality. How wrong we were!
