Laurel Watson was a morning television cooking host and wanted to establish a boutique chain of cupcake stores. Laurel called everyone “Petal” so we decided that would be the brand. She had visited numerous cupcake stores in the USA which inspired and fuelled her enthusiasm, but also bogged her down with choices. So she approached RCG and Design Director John Lenihan to help her establish her brand and design her store.

The design approach was distinctly different to the typically ‘pink, rather girly’ approach that many competitors had adopted. Instead RCG designed a store that created a modern, minimalist environment, with an indulgent palette designed to be highly man-friendly. The first store in Newmarket was really a ‘hole in the wall’ – minimalism in the truest sense at 3 m wide x 7 m deep! The second store in Ponsonby lives within a Witchery fashion store and is a small café within a large volume store.

And we didn’t stop there. We introduced Petal to Z Energy as a supplier and the relationship has now blossomed to the benefit of both parties. RCG has supplied Petal with a very wide range of services and many at a highly detailed level, including conducting product-testing focus groups, advising on pricing strategy and the design of custom cupcake trays.