Portland is a culinary powerhouse, punching well above its weight given its size, a result of award-winning restaurants, global influences, world-class ingredients, and a passionate community. While you might be familiar with the restaurants that have helped establish and maintain Portland’s reputation as a food destination, you might not know one commonality they share: branding and design work from Might & Main.
You might wonder if Portland’s best restaurants really need dressing up, especially when many boast accolades from Bon Appetit, The New York Times, and even the James Beard Foundation.
After all, shouldn’t the food do the talking?
“Branding is so much more than a logo or a sign,” explains Might & Main co-founder Arielle Walrath. “A brand should be all of the things that give you an accurate expectation of the experience you’re going to have. So, for example, if the food is going to be humble and down to earth but very well crafted, you should know that by looking at the branding.”
You might not know their name, but chances are you know their clients. Co-founded in 2010 by creative directors Arielle Walrath and Sean Wilkinson, Might & Main is a boutique branding and design firm that specializes in the hospitality and food & beverage industries. “We knew the food here was as good or better than anywhere else, but the level of branding wasn’t quite there. We had an opportunity to change that,” says Walrath.
Aptly named (“with might and main” is an Old English phrase meaning “with all the strength, energy, and force at one’s command”), just four full-time designers pour their hearts and souls into each project. “They are a group of people we’ve gotten to know personally over the years, and they are as intensely excited by the small details as the big things, yielding incredible results for their clients,” says long-time client Birch Shambaugh of Woodford Food & Beverage. “In a complicated world where the word ‘partnership’ is overused, the Might & Main team are true partners, and that feels like everything.”
You needn’t look far in Portland to find a Might & Main client. Perhaps you’ve grabbed a coffee at Rwanda Bean or enjoyed the view from Luna Rooftop Bar. Maybe you’ve experienced their work over a pint, be it of the Allagash or Gelato Fiasco variety. Dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that several of your recent reservations, including Leeward, Tipo, Chaval, and many more, all discovered their brand through the Might & Main process as well.
What is “the process,” anyway? While there is a healthy amount of market research, brand positioning strategy, and constant refining involved, there is also magic at work. It’s perhaps best described by Alex Wight of The Crown Jewel: “It’s like they somehow insert a jump drive into your brain, download everything you’re thinking, and make it come to life.”
Josh Miranda of Via Vecchia, Papi, and Blyth & Burrows says he had a similar experience: “They took the thoughts right out of my mind and put them on paper.”
Though the Might & Main team did not divulge any futuristic flash drives, they did share the importance of understanding as much as possible when it comes to what drives the customer. For some, that could be the untold story of the building, while others might be influenced by family history.
When Miranda based his cocktail bar Blyth & Burrows on two English captains who died in the War of 1812, “no one dove further into the research than Might & Main,” he says.
While the process varies depending on each customer’s inspirations and goals, one theme rang true throughout all conversations: “Above all, the Might & Main team are incredible listeners,” says Wight.
Being in Maine, where practicality and resourcefulness are revered, it might seem like frugal restaurateurs would think twice before investing in a domain known for lacking a clear-cut ROI. While branding and design work was historically overlooked or done in-house, a chance encounter between Wilkinson and Arlin Smith, co-owner of Big Tree Hospitality Group, resulted in a partnership that changed how area restaurants valued branding, paving the way for a new era of chefs looking to level up.
“I remember the day,” reminisces Smith of meeting Wilkinson while bartending at Hugo’s. At the time, Smith was looking to open an oyster bar next door and felt strongly about investing in branding, something of an anomaly at the time. After striking up a conversation and hitting it off, they decided to work together, a first for both parties. For Wilkinson, Eventide would be Might & Main’s first restaurant; for Smith and his partners, this would be Big Tree’s first time developing a brand from scratch.
Lacking budget but brimming with determination, Might & Main made each aspect of Eventide’s brand system work double time. Incorporating maritime influences, authentic industry materials, and a zero-waste ethic, the brand emanated approachability and a timeworn, weathered quality. That “doing a lot with a little” approach turned out to be iconic in the restaurant world, earning several awards.
The impact was huge: Chefs took note, and anyone looking to open a restaurant in Portland knew to prioritize their brand alongside their food. Duckfat, Central Provisions, Hot Suppa, and other heavy hitters of Portland’s emerging food scene soon followed suit and hired Might & Main, creating a new standard process for others to follow.
These days, owners in the hospitality industry understand the branding and design budget line item is “up there with refrigeration,” laughs Walrath.
“Investing in marketing pays dividends; it gives you the ability to create first impressions and intrigue when you consider the human diminishing attention span,” explains Wight.
Miranda agrees. “Might & Main is my third call if I’m doing another restaurant, right after my partners and my lawyers.”
On the hotel side, having a brand concept in place is often a must before beginning any interior design or even architectural work, a shift in approach seen in the last five to 10 years. The bulk of Might & Main’s recent growth has been largely fueled by hotels (especially post-pandemic thanks to video conferencing) as “travelers no longer view hotels as solely a place to rest their heads but rather a place to connect with the local community,” according to Walrath.
The Might & Main team takes this responsibility seriously, not only immersing themselves in wherever the project takes them but also hiring talent in the area for the job. The team will find local artists, printers, and other vendors to create bespoke collateral as an extension of the company’s brand in the form of coasters, art, menus, and the like.
After 275 projects, including 75 restaurants and 40 hotels, the Might & Main team has substantial experience under their belts. Yet after creating and recreating countless brands, many within just a few ZIP codes, their ability to produce timeless concepts without borrowing from their expansive library of work continues to impress their customers.
Wight praises Might & Main’s team, who make “a remarkable effort to honor your goals and brand without pushing anything they have done in the past.”
