Modern NOSTALGIA
As Chef Ann Kim opened her third restaurant, Young Joni, her inspiration came from her love of food, hospitality and community. She also spent a lot of time digging into her roots and the concept of the restaurant reflects the personalities of her mother (Young) and mother-in-law (Joni). There are so many personal elements that make this restaurant truly special—from the vintage collection of stoneware plates to the Korean-inspired design elements that give a nod to Ann's heritage.
Ann brought us on just as the restaurant was opening, so we wanted to be very thoughtful in the creative direction to be able to convey the heart and feeling of this space—setting the tone so that Young Joni could make its best debut. During their full-day Catalog Shoot, our photo and video teams worked alongside each other to capture the unique menu items, specialty cocktails and the different energies between the main restaurant and the back bar.
Since working with Young Joni, the photos and videos from this Catalog Shoot have helped support big press coverage and even bigger accolades, including a feature in Food & Wine, GQ Magazine's Best New Restaurant 2017 and a 2019 James Beard Award for Best Midwest Chef (!). The images and motion reel continue to support their website, social media and seemingly boundless (and well-deserved) local and national media love.
Love from Young Joni
“We get the opportunity to tell the story of our restaurant through photos and videos before a guest ever steps foot into the restaurant."
“The catalog has been great for last minute press and media requests for photos. I can finally be proud of the photos I send knowing they were shot with intention."
“There is a certain level of trust and intimacy involved in letting someone tell your story and The Restaurant Project captured the essence of Young Joni beautifully and authentically. ”
— Ann Kim of Young Joni
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