Julia's.
Just a great little Italian

Italian to-go food concept Julia's has been providing Dutch railway travellers with the best pasta and coffee for 10 years now. But lack of autonomous growth was an issue, and Julia's was in need of renewal.

Client

Nederlandse Spoorwegen

Category

Food retail

Scale

100 m2

Location

Rotterdam & roll out

Assignment

Nederlandse Spoorwegen commissioned us to completely redesign Julia's from the ground up. We examined every aspect of the business, including the commercial side, the role of the staff, and the overall design.

In short, we considered every detail of the product range, right down to the sugar packets. The first branch to be remodeled was at Rotterdam Central Station."

Result

To-go concept for the whole day.
Faster through more efficient ordering and preparation process.
Stronger visual identity thanks to new Italian look and feel.
Increase in turnover.

Offering a faster and more convenient service
The basic idea behind Julia's is fast, freshly prepared Italian food and drinks. However, this concept mainly appealed to early-morning and evening travellers. We believed there were untapped opportunities to generate new revenues by focusing on different times of the day and by offering a faster and more convenient service.

Menu expanded
To make Julia's more relevant throughout the day, the menu was expanded to include more types of sandwiches and new products like salads and focaccia. Additional presentation possibilities were added to give the products a greater impact.

New modular layout and routing enables speed
In addition to quality and convenience, travellers expect station restaurants to offer fast service. We therefore revised the ordering, preparation and take-away process based on our analysis of the customer journey. The new modular layout and routing has enabled Julia's to improve in terms of speed. Thanks to a digital ordering system, orders placed at the counter or on the new order columns are directly visible on a panel in the kitchen. Orders that are ready for pickup are displayed on a separate screen. Popular products, such as the best-selling pasta combinations, have been listed as Julia's favourites. The aim was to anticipate and respond to the needs and behaviours of Julia's target audience, and deliver an even faster service. And it works, because 78% of Julia's customers now choose from the fixed menu, which has clearly shortened the waiting time.

A modern-day reinterpretation of the typical Italian
Key elements in Julia's positioning are service and quality. This is expressed in beautiful materials and an eye for detail. Like in Italy ('il bel paese') itself. This look has been retained and improved. The new visual identity and disposables are in keeping with the new formula. The updated design is a modern-day reinterpretation of the typical Italian. Local materials, such as terrazzo and terracotta, reflect the Italian theme. The designs are a modern take on classic Italy, inspired by Florence Cathedral.