Perkins

Reimagining a Legacy Brand for the Modern Dining Experience

Perkins Family Restaurant has long been a familiar presence in American dining known for comfort food, reliability, and approachability. As the brand evolved to attract a new generation of guests while retaining loyal customers, Perkins undertook a rebrand that required more than a visual update. It called for a fundamentally modern digital experience.

As Creative Director and Designer, I helped lead the reimagination of Perkins’ digital ecosystem and in translating the refreshed brand into connected experiences that lived both in-restaurant and across digital platforms.

The Challenge

Perkins faced a common but complex transformation: how to modernize a legacy brand without losing the warmth and familiarity guests expected.

The experiences needed to:

• Bring the rebrand to life consistently across customer touchpoints
• Introduce new technology without overwhelming guests
• Create intuitive ordering experiences within the restaurant
• Launch and promote Perkins Perks, a new loyalty program designed to increase engagement and repeat visits
• Appeal to both longtime diners and digitally native customers

The goal wasn’t just modernization, it was relevance.

The Solution

We approached the work as a holistic experience redesign, ensuring every interaction reflected the new Perkins while making dining easier and more engaging.

In-Restaurant Kiosk Experience

A key pillar of the transformation was the introduction of self-service kiosk menus, designed to streamline ordering while improving the guest experience. The kiosks empowered guests with greater control while supporting operational efficiency.

We focused on:

• Fast, low-friction navigation
• Logical menu architecture
• Readability in varied lighting conditions
• Large touch targets for accessibility
• A flow that reduced hesitation during decision-making

Launching Perkins Perks

The new Perkins Perks loyalty program became a central engagement driver within the ecosystem. Rather than feeling promotional, the experience positioned the program as a natural extension of dining with Perkins.

We focused on:

• Fast, low-friction navigation
• Logical menu architecture
• Readability in varied lighting conditions
• Large touch targets for accessibility
• A flow that reduced hesitation during decision-making

The digital platforms were designed to:

• Clearly communicate program value
• Encourage easy enrollment
• Reinforce rewards at key moments in the journey
• Support long-term retention behaviors

The Outcome

The redesigned experience repositioned Perkins as a brand ready for modern dining behaviors while preserving its core sense of comfort. Most importantly, it signaled that Perkins wasn’t just updating its look, it was designing for the future of how guests dine.