There’s a New Bagel on the Block.

Ugly Bagel has entered the chat with a bold vision: to redefine the traditional bagel experience with a playful, quirky twist. Inspired by the spirit of individuality and embracing the imperfections of life, our team has crafted a vibrant brand system, full of personality with a fun and nostalgic spin. The vision? A welcoming, lighthearted brand where grabbing your morning bagel is both easy and experiential.

images used for the moodboard for the Ugly Bagel brand

MODERN SOUTHWEST

The Ugly Bagel moodboard is a bold and graphic exploration of color, form, and type, meant to evoke both nostalgia and a sense of modern playfulness. Dynamic and geometric elements dominate the visuals, creating a lively and inviting atmosphere that’s equal parts quirky and approachable. This combination of bold hues and clean shapes sets the foundation for a brand experience that feels both fresh and familiar, welcoming customers with a smile.

Enter Uggy—the adorable, wide-eyed champion of Ugly Bagel. Uggy brings the brand to life with its goofy grin and carefree personality, becoming an instant icon in the bakery scene. Uggy is not only a face for the brand, but also a figure that adds personality across digital platforms, merchandise, and the shop itself.

Different versions of the Ugly Bagel mascot Uggy

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, ORDER UP!

If you’re not drawn into the Ugly Bagel storefront by the smell of fresh bagels in the oven, then the vibrant on-brand decor will surely pull your gaze. A custom museum-inspired display features the daily offerings, while fun wall murals and immerse you in the brand (and give you some fun photo ops with Uggy). Staff uniforms, featuring the brand’s color palette on aprons and shirts, all tie into the lively atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.

Ugly Bagel exterior signage

Entryway experience, door handle inspiration, front door design, designs for mosaic entryway

Ugly Bagel store entry tile

Ugly Bagel store outside signage

A wall-to-wall mural that shreds, Ugly Bagel Mural concept in Nashville, TN

Ugly Bagel digital in store menu screen designs

A GLORIFIED BAGEL MUSEUM

At Ugly Bagel, the menu display is an experience in itself—bagels and spreads are showcased like prized pieces in a museum. Customers can see the fresh offerings up close, giving them a better look at what the offerings are. Bold, graphic signage catches the eye, offering a clear and easy-to-navigate overview of the menu. While digital menus provide detailed information about ingredients and options, the real showstopper is the physical bagel display.

3-step wall signage that goes over the three steps of ordering at Ugly Bagel

Ugly Bagel interior concepts included a bagel and schmear wall that

Ugly Bagel store bagel wall buildout

Ugly Bagel Schmear Station buildout

Our concept sketches for the merch corner display for Ugly Bagel in Nashville, TN

View of Ugly Bagel merch corner shelves with hats, shirts, and coffee

View of Ugly Bagel merch corner shelves with hats, shirts, tumblers, and tote bags

Restroom Signage, (whoever just wash your hands)

A VIBRANT ON-THE-GO EXPERIENCE

For Ugly Bagel’s to-go collateral, we designed a cohesive and vibrant collection that extends the brand experience beyond the store. From playful single bagel bags to branded to-go cups and large coffee containers, each item carries the bold, graphic identity of Ugly Bagel. These designs create a memorable, on-the-go experience that keeps Ugly Bagel top of mind.

Ugly Bagel to-go coffee cups designs and single bagel bag designs

Ugly Bagel to-go package designs including cold cups, bagel boxes, cream cheese labels, to-go bags and large coffee containers.

UGLY SWAG

We designed a fun, eye-catching line of merchandise for Ugly Bagel that brings their playful brand to life. The collection includes everything from custom hoodies to unique items like an Uggy keychain and fob, and a custom plush toy of their mascot, Uggy. Alongside these standout pieces, we crafted classic merch such as stickers, magnets, enamel pins, tumblers, and a tote bag—each reflecting the brand’s vibrant energy and giving fans plenty of ways to show their Ugly Bagel pride.

Ugly Bagel merch designs

Ugly Bagel lunchbox that says Feast Your Eyes with their mascot Uggy

Ugly Bagel lunchbox gif animation

Ugly Bagel merch including a tote bag design, insulated tumblers, embroidered hats, magnets, enamel pins and a custom sweatshirt.

We decided Uggy needed some dimension… So we made a custom plush toy and keychain.

UNIFORMS FIT TO SLING BAGELS

For Ugly Bagel’s employee uniforms, we designed custom-embroidered aprons in the brand’s signature orange, adding a bright pop of color that mirrors the playful store atmosphere. Paired with a variety of fun, graphic t-shirts, employees have the freedom to mix and match, allowing their own personalities to shine through. The t-shirts, designed to complement the brand’s bold identity, are also available for purchase, offering customers the chance to take home a piece of Ugly Bagel’s style.

Ugly Bagel custom embroidered aprons with custom t-shirt designs

LIGHTS, CAMERA, BAGELS!

For Ugly Bagel’s photography, we collaborated with Digital Love Studio in Nashville to capture the brand’s vibrant personality. We photographed each bagel and cream cheese flavor, along with 12 unique spreads, designed to reflect monthly specials and holiday themes. The result is a dynamic, colorful collection that highlights the playfulness and variety of Ugly Bagel’s offerings. These high-quality images can be used across the website as hero images and on social media, providing a visually engaging way to showcase their menu year-round.

Ugly Bagel photography, shot in Nashville, TN

UGLY ONLINE

The website we designed for Ugly Bagel serves as the perfect launching pad for customers to easily transition to their Toast online ordering platform. Built with user-friendliness in mind, we ensured mobile-friendly views to provide a seamless experience across all devices. Using Webflow as the hosting platform, we created a site that’s not only visually engaging but also easy for the Ugly Bagel team to manage. They can effortlessly update new flavors and specials as seasons change, keeping the site fresh and current year-round.