Craft, collabs & culinary identity

Birch, Oberlin & Gift Horse — Providence, Rhode Island

Since 2012, I’ve worked closely with my brother, Chef Ben Sukle, to shape the visual and emotional identity of his restaurants — from the intimate refinement of Birch to the approachable energy of Oberlin and the bold personality of Gift Horse. Each concept presented a new opportunity to explore how design can reflect not only the craft of food but the spirit of place, people, and progression.

What began as a single collaboration evolved into a creative partnership built on trust, experimentation, and shared vision.

Responsibilities:

Partnered with Chef Ben Sukle and his restaurant group to build and evolve brand identities for three award-winning concepts over more than a decade. Designed and curated branding systems, environmental artwork, and menu design across each restaurant. Most recently, collaborated with freelance designers to art direct the new identity for Gift Horse, launched in 2023.

Challenge:

Each restaurant needed a distinctive identity while maintaining a throughline that reflected Ben’s philosophy: thoughtful, seasonal, and deeply rooted in Rhode Island’s landscape. The challenge was to craft branding that felt timeless yet tailored — visual systems that could evolve alongside the menus, interiors, and experiences without losing their authenticity.

Over the course of three restaurant launches, I guided the creative process from concept to execution — balancing strategy and artistry.

  • Birch (2012): Established the foundational visual tone — minimal, textural, and understated — to mirror the restaurant’s intimate, ingredient-driven dining experience.

  • Oberlin (2016): Expanded the visual language into something brighter and more convivial, translating the group’s growing confidence into a modern, approachable identity.

  • Gift Horse (2023): Collaborated with a team of freelancers to art direct a fresh brand system — integrating illustration, typography, and tactile materials that reflect both the heritage of New England seafood and the inventiveness of the cuisine.

  • Designed menus, signage, and environmental art for all locations, ensuring visual and experiential continuity across the group.

Throughout, the design process functioned as dialogue — between food and form, between siblings, between tradition and evolution.

Outcome:

The Sukle restaurant brands became synonymous with Providence’s culinary renaissance. Birch received widespread critical acclaim, Oberlin earned national recognition as one of the Northeast’s top dining destinations, and Gift Horse launched to national excitement and garnered James Beard recognition in 2025.

Over the course of more than a decade of creative collaboration, the visual identities have remained grounded in authenticity — design as an extension of craft, care, and community.