TJ's Pretzels
Logo, print materials and signage for a pretzel and snack shop in Brigantine, NJ
TJ's Pretzels and More
I developed a theme and visual style for a pretzel, snack and ice cream shop opening in Brigantine, NJ. Details on how the theme ties into local history are below (see the story below Meet TJ).
The pirate began with a sketch of the owner, Jamy (shown posing below), that I scanned and tweaked it in Photoshop before live-tracing it in Illustrator for the final vector file. The crusty edges and woodgrain effects were done in Illustrator. Huge debt to Steve Ferrera's and his Pieces of EIght font.
Jamy Franco, co-owner of TJ's (he's the J in TJ) and model for the pirate. Note: he has all his teeth but was ok with me knocking one out for the logo.
menu board
Customer Punch Card: Buy 10, Get One FREE
Map to the store on the back of the printed menu. I made the map in Adobe Illustrator. The pirate ship is by Manfred Klein and his wonderful Armada Pirata font.
An abridged legend of TJ is included in the menu. Though TJ's was named for its co-owners Tina and Jamy, we took took some literary license with an actual pirate from Brigantine's history. Timothy Jones was Captain Kidd's first mate—we have him resurfacing as a pretzel-making pirate.  Copy credit: Jenny Raybould
Full legend to accompany (an eventual ) full-length portrait of TJ as part of the store's decor.

Welcome to TJ’s! Drop anchor here awhile.Who’s TJ, you ask? That’s me. Timothy Jones. Terrible TJ, one of the hairiest and
scariest pirates ever to hoist sail at Brigantine. First mate to the famous Cap’n Kidd.
And first in line for a share of his treasure. Disappeared in the year ’Ninety-Eight—
that’s 1698. It’s a mystery to this day.

Not to you, me hearties. You know where old TJ came ashore, right enough. 

Look, can I trust you? Truth is, I’d had enough of pirating. Captain’s treasure was a mighty
haul— too much for one man to bury. I gave him a hand, in exchange for my share
then and there. So I could start an honest business here at Brigantine.

See, a seafarer knows his snacks. You never know where your next meal is comingfrom, so you always pack a pocketful. Something salty. Something sweet—a pirate
has a fearsome sweet tooth.

I remember the night we slipped into Philadelphia, and I tasted my first pretzel. Big
as the rope to tie a man’s hands, and salt as Davy Jones’ Locker. Then there was the
run to the islands for the sugar cane we craved.

Now I’m the Proud Proprietor of TJ’s. Hand-making, hand-picking, hand-dipping
all the good things. Always just salt enough, just sweet enough—nothing but the
best for you, shipmates. These days no one fears old TJ. The little ones even pull my
beard. And that’s just the way I like it.

Enjoy!
TJ
Photoshop mock-up of banner and window graphics while the store was still under construction..
Nautical flags were the inspiration for these tall window graphics that would draw attention to the storefront. The letter each flag signals corresponds with the item it features. C: candy; I: ice cream; P: pretzel, D: (delicious) biscotti (yeah, cheated there); B: birthdays. So if you were a sailor, these would feel accurate.
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