Welcome to Branding for Lunch
A weekly bite of bold (& honest) thinking at the intersection of food, place, and design.
Welcome to BRANDING FOR LUNCH.
I’m Mary, a brand designer and co-founder of a contemporary pastry shop. I work at the intersection of food, design, and identity —and this space is where I get to explore all three, without a brief or a deadline.
I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while.
It started as a practical LinkedIn series on brand and hospitality, something neat, useful, and easy to publish. But what I really wanted was something more personal. More layered. A place to share what inspires me: the brands I admire, the stories I remember, the food, hotels, and restaurants that make me feel something I can’t always explain. The beauty. The tension. The detail that sticks.
This isn’t a branding tutorial (though I’m always happy to share what I know).
It’s a studio-side notebook. A place for design, desire, and decision-making in hospitality and beyond.
So what is BRANDING FOR LUNCH?
It’s a weekly words on how food, place, and design shape the way we eat, feel, gather, and connect — and how, together, those touchpoints shape culture.
From brand moments to beautiful spaces.
From founder stories to the details that make something unforgettable.
From the first impression to the feeling that lingers.
This newsletter is for people building cafés, restaurants, and boutique hotels; and for those who simply love food, beautiful spaces, and the feeling of a brand done right.
(Maybe you’re just hungry.)
What you will find:
– Strategy & storytelling from the world of hospitality branding
– Honest takes on brand building (what works, what doesn’t)
– Case studies & founder insights worth reading
– Creative inspiration across food, space, and design culture
About me
I was born on France’s Atlantic coast. Creativity has always been my language; from drawing and dance as a kid to six years in art school, where I studied both textile and graphic design. That dual path shaped how I work today: multidisciplinary, intuitive, and detail-obsessed.
Almost ten years ago, I moved to Australia for what was meant to be a one-year trip. It turned into a new life — a design studio (MARIUS MARIUS), a fiancé, and a pastry shop. Fun fact: I was never a big eater growing up (French pastries aside). But through my partner — a pastry chef — and my designer’s eye, I fell in love with hospitality as something far deeper than food.
I started to see things differently.
A croissant became a concept.
A restaurant became a narrative.
A hotel became a brand experience.
And now I can’t unsee it.
Why this, why now?
Because beautiful ideas deserve more space.
Because branding should feel, not just function.
Because culture is being shaped one plate, one place, one detail at a time.
And because I want to design a hotel one day (and I know I’m not the only one.)
Thanks for being here.
Bon Appetit, À bientôt!
Mary