From the outside, Stone Church Brewing intrigues passersby of Dos Lagos shopping complex with distinctive storefront signage. From the inside, the craft brewery impresses both young and old alike, with hip branded décor and premium artisan brews using European grains and the best ingredients, plus recipes made in-house. The brewery only opened two months ago but is already making waves as an all-inclusive Corona hotspot. In a recent interview, Stone Church Brewing owner Bill Steinkirchner discusses how creative sign design has been effective in attracting the locals to their tasty ales, and converting them into loyal and returning customers.
Name: Bill Steinkirchner (Owner)
Hometown: Corona, CA
1. What were your sign goals at the start of the project?
We want our business to be a place where the new generation can grow with us. The essence of our brand is excellence. Our brewery has a focus on quality and our premium ales are made with only the best ingredients; we wanted our exterior signage to reflect that.
2. What type of custom signs did Majestic Sign Studio work on for you?
We had a blade sign done, a storefront sign above the entrance and some stretched canvas photos to decorate inside.
3. Which exterior sign materials did you opt for and why?
Our blade sign was made of PVC with a digital print on the front and back. The sign included a border for dimension (to look like a barrel) and was painted. Overall, the sign is 1.5 inches thick and made to look like wood.
For our storefront sign above the entrance, we went for vinyl graphics. We wanted something clean and simple, so we just went for our logo. Our venue already had a lightbox above our store entrance, which we were able to leverage instead of choosing an illuminated sign.
Majestic Sign Studio recommended these material combinations as the most cost-effective way of achieving our sign goals.
4. How were your branding goals translated to your storefront signage?
Our blade sign is totally original. We wanted to differentiate ourselves, and Majestic Sign Studio came up with a number of unique designs to do that. We ended up with one that looks like the top of a wine barrel.
Our storefront sign (the vinyl graphic) is clean and simple. It was just what we wanted to add prominence to our building and identify our business.
5. What about for your canvas prints?
These prints add something special to our atmosphere. The name “Stone Church Brewing” comes from my family name—“Steinkirchner” in German translates to “Stone Church” in English.
We took some of my wife’s photographs of churches, and Majestic Sign Studio made them into canvas prints. They actually stretch the canvas by hand and attach it to stretcher board frames, that they also build in-house. It’s been great for creating a distinct environment, fueling our branding and offering something original and appealing to our customers.
6. How long did it take to get your signage completed?
The exterior sign took about two weeks to get done, and the blade sign took a month (due to the sign material). This included everything from initial talks, nailing down a design, doing the site survey, getting the permit, and installation.
7. Would you have changed anything about the process?
Majestic Sign Studio can take care of sign permits, but I decided to apply for my permit myself to save some money. I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone—it was a pain. Majestic Sign Studio ended up assisting me over the phone for two hours.
8. What feedback have you gotten on your signage?
People love the blade sign. Our signage helps set us apart and position our local brand. The uniqueness of the design and the overall sign quality have been important in attracting customers to our premium product, and have contributed to our success.
9. What stood out most about working with Majestic Sign Studio?
The Majestic team is very customer-oriented. Everyone is very accessible, and they have timely communication.
Have a creative idea for storefront signage? Bring your design to life and start being seen—contact our experienced signage team.
“Refresh Your Soul”–Enjoy a pint at Stone Church Brewing: http://www.stonechurchbrewing.com/contact-us.html
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