Debs Store
A family store lives on, and takes on a new life
Debs Store is a local, family-owned grocery store on the Eastside of Downtown Jacksonville, FL. The store has been in the family of Mr. Joseph Debs for nearly 100 years. It provided the neighborhood with fresh produce and other general sundries, and most of all it was a welcoming place where community members could feel safe. Over the past few years Joe has been on a mission to restore the old building and evolve it for the needs of the community today.
We took this incredible story and created a beautiful and meaningful way to show it off to the world. By creating a brand framework (origin story, purpose, mission, vision, positioning, values, personality tones and pillars), two specific logo marks and visual identity we're honoring the legacy of the original, family store while supporting the future mission.
The brand framework creates specificity around who Debs Store is, what makes it different and the bigger vision for preserving historic places not just in this location, but in many others where a central place for the neighborhood is needed.
Because the vision for this brand goes beyond the original family-owned building, we created two logo marks. One that honors the history of the store as a location-specific mark, and another that supports a grand vision of expanding this model for restoration in other communities.
The style of both marks is simple, honoring colors and textures from the original building while also looking ahead with a modernized style and an optimistic approach. Color and type is consistent in both marks for continuity, and the broader mark uses the simple gesture of wheat stalks to symbolize nourishment, coming together to break bread and care for our neighbors.
The website (thedebsstore.com) is an expansion of the visual identity and does a great job telling the story of Debs Store. In it you can find the detailed family story of the store, the mission, explore the progress on the original store restoration, purchase merchandise and learn what's next for Debs Store.
This is just the beginning for Debs Store. I look forward to revealing this project more as we continue to create a broader presence through a website, merchandise, and other partnerships.
From Joe Debs:
I knew I had an amazing story to tell but needed Cason’s creative talent to tell it. My grandparents, my father and my uncle had served so many people in the Eastside of Jacksonville for over a century and, in doing so, had created a neighborhood legacy. Picking up on their mission, I asked Cason to assist in capturing the story, past, present and future, with a set of brand guidelines.
Cason succeeded in presenting alternatives that embodied the history and values of Debs Store but also demonstrated the energy of what is still to come.
The experience was just as I expected. I’ve worked with Cason in the past and know that she always presents me ideas that are outside my “box” and this project was no exception. I thoroughly enjoy working with someone whose talents go so far beyond mine in her field and is comfortable in engaging in constructive exchanges of ideas.
Currently, the store space is being renovated and repurposed for the community thanks to partnerships with Lift Jax, Goodwill of Northeast Florida, VyStar and others.
