Vapiano Says “Fresh” Without Uttering a Word

Seeing the name Vapiano on the fast-casual restaurant door immediately calls to mind an Italian kitchen with warm, savory dishes. Yet when you first walk into the German-born restaurant, one of the first things you’ll notice is a tiny little unexpected detail. The cooking and eating surfaces are adorned in potted herbs — no, not flowers, not wine displays, not shelves full of antipasto and crusty breads — just herbs. Fresh, minimalist, fragrant, potted herbs tastefully placed on the tables, the counters and the prep areas where chefs prepare your made-to-order meals.

Not only are the herbs there to tempt your senses of sight and smell, they’re also there to tempt your sense of taste. In Europe, where Vapiano calls home, diners are encouraged to pick herbs straight from the plants on their table to garnish the dish in front of them. Although US food laws do not allow such an amazing branded ritual (touch and smell, yes; eat, no), Vapiano locations in the US encourage their patrons to specify to their chef exactly “how they like their herbs.” Me? I’ll have the pesto pasta with extra oregano and a few basil leaves, please.

And the most amazing part? After a quick skim of their website and their menus, nowhere could I find the phrase “fresh herbs.” Without saying or typing a word, Vapiano successfully communicates in their stores exactly how fresh their foods are through simple branded rituals, visual messaging and by tapping the core of your human being — your five senses.