Silver Square

While attending a networking event for Alpha Chicks last night at Houlihan’s, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoying their new branding. They have purposely set out to reach a younger, hipper crowd due to their updated logo, decor, menu selection and nightly specials.

Flight of martini's from Houlihan's; 3 for $9

Let’s start with the specials – as they WERE special. Half price bottles of wine, flights of martinis and half price ’snackage’ is pretty nice within itself. However, the delivery of these specials made them an extra treat. The flights of martinis were from ANY of the martinis available. Select the fancy chocolate one, get the sugar rim sweet one, they were all part of the deal. They didn’t offer something from a limited menu or trick you in to thinking it all applied. Then, they delivered the flights of martinis in full style. Everyone around our table (and those of us at the table who partook in something other than the martinis) wanted what they had. It’s instant jealousy.

The appetizer delivery was amazing too. Fancy modern plates and extras really made a punch and took your little snackage up a notch on the fun scale. The taste was there too; nothing was missing.

Houlihan's new logo

The new branding made this all come together consistently. The identity itself is clean, fresh and modern. I like how the ‘H’ is a little off skew. The logo launched the theme for the rest of the decor and menu design. It all fit together in a modern fit of functionality and style. The outdoor patio was one of the best I’ve experienced. It is in the Castleton Mall parking lot, but you know what, I rarely noticed this after our crowd showed up, the drinks arrived and the night began. The brilliant red adirondack chairs and bright yellow umbrellas paired with dark black steel and hearty brown woods made you feel like you were on someone’s back porch, not a public restaurant. 

Well done Houlihan’s. You have upgraded your brand significantly and you paired all your elements of the entire experience well. This is a great model of how it should be done.