Fuel Pizza Cafe Logo and Signage

 Fuel Pizza Café opened in Charlotte in 1998, the architecture formerly being a gas station on Central Avenue, transformed into a neighborhood restaurant. Shook Kelley worked on the project’s architecture, interiors, and graphic identity, developing logos and signs inspired by older service stations.

The circular “FUEL” emblem connects the restaurant’s name to the building’s previous use. Its bold lettering and surrounding rings reference roadside commercial signs, while other restaurant graphics explain the new purpose of the space. The service-station references extend beyond the logo through signs, language, and memorabilia incorporated into the restaurant.

The identity shows how graphic design can help carry a building’s history into a new use. Instead of treating the former gas station as something unrelated, the restaurant made it central to its name and visual identity. The opening of the restaurant was 1998, but the first screen capture showcasing their logo via their website can be dated back to 2000.