Rat’s Restaurant

I had the distinct honor to work with the architectural firm DAS Architects and the owner, sculptor Seward Johnson, to create an identity for Rat’s, a French restaurant situated on the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey. The name of the restaurant was derived from the novel Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, a favorite of Mr. Johnson. The book is narrated by Ratty, a “gentleman rat.”

While having lunch with Mr. Johnson and the architects, I sketched this logo on the back of a napkin. Really. I had the café menus mounted on a board with a mouse trap to hold the menu in place. Mr. Johnson, obviously, had a wonderful sense of humor.