A sports bar built around its local heroes
Making a sub-brand feel like a place of its own
Sideline is the sports bar inside Hotel Panorama, one of three brands living under one roof. The main hotel had its polish. Wonderland, the rooftop, had its glamour. Sideline needed to be the opposite of both: fun, local, a proper classic sports bar with a bit of history in it and casual dining that doesn't take itself too seriously.
The concept came from the agency. My job was to build it out into something that actually felt like its own place, not a recoloured version of the hotel upstairs. That's the hard part with a sub-brand. It has to belong to the same family and still stand on its own two feet the second you walk in.
So I built out the full day-to-day system. Menus, drinks lists, a kids menu, coasters, table pucks and social tiles. The everyday pieces people actually pick up and hold, which is usually where a sports bar either feels considered or feels thrown together.
The standout was the tabletops. The tables in the main bar were themed after sporting icons and local heroes, and I designed each one. Not wallpaper, not filler. A reason to pick one table over another, and a talking point built right into the furniture.
A local with its own personality, ready to open
Sideline came together as its own place. Same family as the hotel, its own character entirely. From the menu in your hand to the hero on the table in front of you, every piece was designed to make it feel like a local that had been there for years, not a venue that opened yesterday.
Brand & website by Simple
Photography by Outline Creative
