Casa Del Taco, Mexican Restaurant

Brand Stewardship: Identity, Print, Web & Campaign

Role: Creative Director & Brand Designer
Client: Casa Del Taco, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Years: 18+ years, ongoing
Website: Casadeltacorgv.com

Overview

Some client relationships are projects. This one is a partnership. For over 18 years I’ve led creative direction for Casa Del Taco, an independent Mexican restaurant in the Rio Grande Valley. It started with ongoing design support and grew into full brand stewardship: identity, menus, in-store graphics, merchandise, website, social and marketing campaigns. One brand system carried through every touchpoint a guest ever sees.

Challenge & Goals

An independent restaurant competes every day against chains with bigger budgets and marketing departments. Casa Del Taco needed a brand that could do that heavy lifting on its own: bold enough to be remembered, consistent enough to be trusted, and flexible enough to stretch across two decades of menus, seasons, campaigns and growth without losing itself.

Approach & Process

The identity leans into celebration: bright, energetic color, expressive typography and graphic elements that carry the warmth of the restaurant itself. Every piece, from a breakfast menu to an embroidered cap, is designed inside the same system, so the brand feels unmistakable whether you meet it on a plate, a t-shirt or a phone screen.

The recent menu redesign shows how the system works as a business tool, not just a look. I restructured layout and hierarchy to improve readability, spotlight high-margin items and create category clarity, all while keeping the playful character guests already associate with the brand. The same system extends to their website, a hybrid experience I designed and built in WordPress that balances the menu with their catering venue and keeps the brand’s energy fully intact online.

Outcome & Impact

Two decades in, the brand is still working: recognizable, adaptable and deeply connected to its community. Menus that sell strategically. Merch guests actually want to wear. A website that brings the in-person experience online. That’s what a brand system built for the long run looks like, and it’s what every independent business deserves.