Scales Restaurant Branding & Design

Murphy Empire partnered with Scales Restaurant, the internationally acclaimed Portland, Maine dining destination from famed restaurateur Dana Street (of Fore Street and Street & Company), to create a distinctive brand identity system and complete digital and print design suite. Consistently ranked among the Top Ten Restaurants in the U.S. by Food & Wine Magazine and The New York Times, Scales reflects a refined yet rustic coastal dining experience — mirrored through a handcrafted visual identity rooted in Portland’s working wharf heritage.

Scales restaurant custom wordmark with hand-drawn fish illustration
Scales restaurant menu featuring custom wordmark and typographic system
The hand of Ken Murphy drawing the Scales Bluefish illustration during brand development
Interior of Scales restaurant showing dining room and bar environment
Lobster dish served at Scales restaurant in Portland, Maine
View through Scales restaurant windows overlooking the Portland working waterfront

Brand Identity & Creative Direction

Our creative direction focused on balance — the meeting point of Maine’s maritime grit and elevated fine dining. We designed a visual identity that embodies the restaurant’s sense of place: textured, tactile, and elegant. Each design decision, from palette to typography, conveys authenticity and sophistication while honoring the craft and care that define the Scales dining experience.

Logo Design & Visual Language

At the core of the brand identity is a hand-drawn logotype and the iconic bluefish mark, taken from an original pen-and-ink anatomical drawing (Pomatomus saltatrix) by Ken Murphy of Murphy Empire. The mark’s precision and detail evoke the artistry and authenticity of the restaurant’s approach to seafood — grounded in craftsmanship, honesty, and beauty. Supporting elements — typographic treatments, material textures, and restrained color palette — bring cohesion across every touchpoint.

Website & Print Collateral

We built Scales’ custom website with full SEO/AI search to reflect the dining experience through understated elegance, immersive photography, and intuitive structure. The visual system was extended across menus, print collateral, and social-media templates — maintaining the brand’s sense of refined warmth in every medium. From paper stock to motion on screen, the brand identity communicates both local integrity and international caliber.

Deliverables

  • Brand Strategy & Visual Identity System

  • Hand-Drawn Logotype & Bluefish Mark by Ken Murphy

  • Website Design & Development with full SEO/AI search

  • Menu Design & Print Collateral

  • Web & Social Media Branding Assets

Explore more of our work in Logo Design, or Website Design.