The Vagabond Taproom & Shoofly Java

Branding Design & Signage Consultation

Sometimes a client comes along and you just know that it was meant to be.

Kendall and Mark Ludwig met Pat and Michelle Hudnall, owners of The Vagabond Taproom on Alder Street in downtown Oakland, through the Mountaintop Soccer Association. Their son was on a team with the Ludwigs’ oldest daughter, and we became friends quickly after that.

When they shared that they were thinking about opening a tap house in Oakland, we were thrilled on behalf of the community. Our team began meeting with them to help them choose a name for their new endeavor. We settled on the name “The Vagabond Taproom” after the self-named “Four Vagabonds” (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone) making summer camping trips at various locations (including Swallow Falls here in Garrett County)—which really suits Pat and Michelle’s love of the outdoors.

Then we began a conversation of what it would look like to partner with CurlyRed to outsource all of their creative needs.

And boy, did they! We started with the branding and signage (fully inspired by their outdoorsy love), then we created some ads and postcards, then moved on to the menu design (crafted to look like a Victorian newspaper!) and then launched their fully custom, responsive website. We love the marriage of vintage textures and typefaces with the stunningly textural imagery of the taproom interior (shot by talented local photographer Anna Brown).

The Vagabond Taproom celebrated 5 years in business this past November, and our firm has partnered with them every step of the way. CurlyRed has designed print and digital ads, custom menu boards, social media assets, apparel, signage, coasters, gift cards, business cards, a special 5-year Anniversary—the list goes on and on!

It’s remarkable that a restaurant was able to not only survive, but thrive during and after a global pandemic that made indoor dining impossible for many months. Vagabond was able to quickly pivot, offering carryout dining and (eventually) outdoor seating. In fact, they’ve done so well, they were able to open a coffee shop right next door called Shoofly Java! In the past 5 years, Vagabond has continued to expand their live music, events and offerings, have served over 118,000 happy guests and poured over 80,000 beers!

Here’s what owner Pat Hudnall had to say about working with us: