Brand Guidelines — 2026

Incorrect password.

SORE  ·  Japanese Comfort Dining
それ  ·  A quiet kind of warmth
Brand Guidelines
Edition 2026
Brand Guidelines

The Warmth
of Sore Hari.

A field guide to the look, voice, and feeling of SORE — built for the people who carry it forward, one bowl, one cup, one quiet afternoon at a time.
Est. — Japanese Comfort Dining
Volume I  /  2026
Chapter — 01
A New
Chapter.
SORE / 2026Brand Story
それ — sore02

What began with the spirit of an izakaya — lively, playful, and full of energy — has grown into something more enduring.

Not louder, but deeper.
Not busier, but more considered.

SORE today is a warm, everyday comfort brand. Built around simple things done right: ramen, toast, coffee, and dessert — and the kind of moments people don't rush through, but return to.

— A new chapter, gently written.
SORE / Brand Strategy
Chapter 01 — Positioning

The gap
we choose
to own.

Today's dining landscape is full, but fragmented. Each format does one thing — and stops short of the rest.
01

Ramen Shop

Built around meals — structured, occasion-based, and often limited to that single experience.

02

Cafés

Offer space to stay, but rarely satisfy beyond drinks.

03

Dessert Spots

Fleeting. Quick, indulgent, and short-lived.

04

Chains

Prioritize efficiency, but lose the sense of warmth and connection.

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
03
Our Position

SORE exists in the space between.

A place where meals meet moments. Where you can come for a bowl of ramen, stay for coffee, share a toast, and end with something sweet.

— Not bound by occasion.
Not limited by category.

Just complete comfort, designed to fit into your day, and easy to return to.

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
04
Brand Promise

Four things,
every time.

Every guest, every visit, should leave with the same four things. This is not aspirational — it is the operational standard SORE is built around.
i.

Good Japanese Comfort

Consistent ramen, bowls, toast, coffee, and desserts that satisfy every time.

ii.

Fair Prices

Easy to say yes to today. Easy to repeat tomorrow. No second-guessing required.

iii.

Genuine Hospitality — Omotenashi

Warm, attentive, not scripted. Guests feel seen — not processed.

iv.

Simple Reasons to Return

Enough variety to stay interesting. Clear enough to never feel confusing.

SORE / Brand Value
Chapter 02 — Omotenashi
Brand Value

Omotenashi,
always.

おもてなし · hospitality, given quietly
At SORE, everything begins with Omotenashi. A quiet, thoughtful form of hospitality, where care is given without being asked, and warmth is felt in ways both big and small.
i.
Notice the small things
ii.
Keep things simple
iii.
Stay consistent
iv.
Make people return
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
06
SORE / Brand Positioning
Chapter 03 — Positioning
Brand Positioning

SORE is a Japanese comfort dining space that brings the calm and warmth of sore hari into any time of day, through thoughtful food, familiar flavors, and a space that invites you to stay.

We don't compete on authenticity, craftsmanship, or trendiness like any other Japanese restaurants out there.

— But we own the emotional space.
The TA

Always-on urbanites

Urban individuals who are constantly "on" — looking for a place to slow down, reconnect, and feel grounded.

The POV

Life is loud

Life is fast, loud, and demanding. People crave a little pocket of calm.

SORE's Role

A softer hour

Provide a place where time feels "softer," just like sore hari.

Reasons to Believe
  • ·Comfort-driven menu (ramen, coffee, toast, dessert)
  • ·Warm, grounded, non-performative space
  • ·Flexible for any time of the day
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
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SORE — Brand System
— Part Two
— Section II —

Narrative

Communication Approach
— Part Two
Chapter 04 — Brand Feeling

The warmth
of SORE.

SORE is not only about time, it's a feeling. At SORE, we serve more than meals — we serve the warmth of sore hari, through a lens of Japanese comfort dining, inspired by the quiet charm of kissaten.

A space where time softens, whether it's morning, afternoon, or night.

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
09
"A space where time softens."
Brand Feeling

Should
feel like this..

— A quiet hour, before evening.
Chill.
Calm.
No rush.
Breezy.
Not loud.
Relax.
— A good book in silence.
— A good conversation with a good friend.
— Or a quiet moment of self-reflection.
SORE / Brand Personality
Chapter 05 — Personality
If
was a person.
Brand personality shapes every interaction — from how food is plated to how a team member says goodbye. — SORE has a character worth knowing.
i.

Warm

Genuinely kind. Makes people feel welcome without making a show of it.

ii.

Smart

Thoughtful choices. Nothing is there without a reason.

iii.

Relaxed

No pressure. No performance. Just easy, honest hospitality.

iv.

Reliable

Guests know what to expect — and it always delivers.

v.

Quietly Cool

Not loud. Not trying too hard. The kind of small place regulars like knowing about.

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
10
SORE / Tone of Voice
Chapter 06 — Voice
How
speaks..
— Calm, warm, and grounded.
Never trying too hard, never in a rush.

Never rush the message

Short sentences, natural pause, no pushing language.

Warm and Kind

But not overly sweet, soft, or cheesy.

Not Performative

Simple, present, not trying too hard to be aesthetic — describe what it is.

Inviting

Don't chase people, make space for them.

We don't say..

  • Best / number one
  • Premium / luxury
  • Authentic (overused)
  • Hurry / now / limited
  • Overly slangy words
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
11
SORE / Key Message
Chapter 06 — Voice

The Key Message

A simple way to keep everything we say consistent,
to make people feel & remember SORE.

The warmth of SORE

is not just ambience.
It is the feeling of good food, fair price, and genuine hospitality coming together in a small upstairs/humble place

Angle 1

Warmth in the food

Ramen, coffee, toast, desserts
as different comfort moments.

Angle 2

Warmth in the service

Omotenashi, small gestures,
genuine hospitality.

Angle 3

Warmth in the return

Fair price, easy choice, hidden
upstairs worth coming back to

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
12
SORE / Social Media
Chapter 06 — Voice
Social Media
Content Pillar

How we bring
that feeling to life,
consistently.

Moment of SORE

Relatable content (could be outside SORE) to build emotional connection

▼
Relatability

Your Kind of Warmth

Menu, product, SORE storytelling. To build relevancy: different mood → different kind of warmth. Here's to make SORE more personal.

▼
Desire

Stay in SORE

Capture the ambience, the vibes, the service, the people. They come here to stay, not only for the food. “The feeling of being here at SORE”

▼
Experience

Warmth to Share

Promos / offering to add reason to come to SORE, wrapped in a message that people relate to / shareable quotes.

▼
Shareability
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
13
SORE — Brand System
— Part Three
— Section III —

The Logo.

Usage  ·  Color Codes
SORE / The Logo
Section III — 15
The Logo

Primary Mark

Two configurations
Light  /  Dark
— Light / Open
— Inverse / Sealed
Wordmark Stacked uppercase "SORE" in Rubik 800, with kana それ sitting above the S.
Reading Pronounced so-re. The kana reads "sore" in hiragana — meaning "that" in Japanese.
Use Case Light mark on cream and warm neutrals. Inverse mark on deep brown, terracotta, and photography.
SORE / The Logo
Section III — 15
The Logo

Horizontal Mark

Two configurations
Light  /  Dark
— Light / Open
— Inverse / Sealed
SORE / The Logo
Section III — 16
Sizing

Digital & Print Usage

Minimum sizes
For legibility & air

— Digital Minimum

90 px
110 px

— Print Minimum

30 mm
40 mm
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
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SORE / Color System
Section III — 17
The Palette

Color & Codes

Eight tones, two roles
Primary & Accentuation
— Primary Color The grounding tones. Deep, earthy, calm.
— Anchor
#381a05
CMYK 51 · 73 · 81 · 74
RGB 56 · 26 · 5
HSB 24 · 90 · 21
— Warmth
#88411e
CMYK 31 · 78 · 100 · 30
RGB 136 · 65 · 30
HSB 19 · 77 · 53
— Earth
#616c24
CMYK 61 · 40 · 100 · 25
RGB 97 · 108 · 36
HSB 67 · 66 · 42
— Field
#a2884b
CMYK 35 · 41 · 81 · 9
RGB 162 · 136 · 75
HSB 40 · 53 · 63
— Accentuation The lift. Used sparingly, where warmth is needed.
— Glow
#ce8715
CMYK 18 · 50 · 100 · 2
RGB 206 · 135 · 21
HSB 36 · 89 · 80
— Hush
#ca9f91
CMYK 21 · 39 · 39 · 0
RGB 202 · 159 · 145
HSB 14 · 27 · 79
— Cool
#94aab2
CMYK 44 · 25 · 25 · 0
RGB 148 · 170 · 178
HSB 194 · 16 · 69
— Paper
#eae8c9
CMYK 8 · 4 · 24 · 0
RGB 234 · 232 · 201
HSB 55 · 13 · 91
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
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SORE — Brand System
— Part Four
— Section IV —

The Typography.

Brandtype  ·  Hierarchy
SORE / Typography
Section IV — 19
Brandtype Headline

The Display Voice

Latin specimen
Headline use
Rubik
— Headline / Display
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0   ! ? . , @ $ # & / ( ) * - + " : ;
— Uppercase set
JAPANESE COMFORT DINING
OPEN 8 AM TO 10 PM
— Sentence set
Japanese Comfort Dining
Open 8 AM to 10 PM
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
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SORE / Typography
Section IV — 20
Subheadline & Body Copy

The Working Voice

Bilingual specimen
Subhead & body use
ZEN 角ゴシック NEW
— Subheadline / Body
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0   ! ? . , @ $ # & / ( ) * - + " : ;
— Uppercase set
JAPANESE COMFORT DINING
OPEN 8 AM TO 10 PM
— Sentence set
Japanese Comfort Dining
Open 8 AM to 10 PM
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
20
SORE / Typography
Section IV — 21
Hierarchy

How they work together

Headline + body
Specimen
— Headline
Rubik

The Warmth of SORE

— Subheadline
ZEN 角ゴシック NEW

SORE is not only about time, it's a feeling. At SORE, we serve more than meals — we serve the warmth of sore hari, through a lens of Japanese comfort dining, inspired by the quiet charm of kissaten.

A space where time softens, whether it's morning, afternoon, or night.

The Warmth of SORE

SORE is not only about time, it's a feeling. At SORE, we serve more than meals — we serve the warmth of sore hari, through a lens of Japanese comfort dining, inspired by the quiet charm of kissaten.

A space where time softens, whether it's morning, afternoon, or night.

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
21
SORE — Brand System
— Part Five
— Section V —

Visual Identity.

Illustration  ·  Key Visual
Visual Identity

Illustration Set

Hand-drawn library
Menu, vessels, objects
Illustration sheet — hand-drawn objects, menu vessels, and food items
— Drawn by hand. Used quietly. Always at home on cream.
SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026  ·  23
Visual Identity

Key Visuals

Photography direction
Tone & mood
— i.
— ii.
— iii.
— Tone
  • Natural light (window, soft shadow)
  • Earthy palette (brown, wood, cream)
  • Human: relaxed, not posed; avoid eye contact
  • Feel like a quiet, comfort, real moment
SORE / Visual Identity
Section V — 25
Texture & Material

Surfaces of SORE

Three references
Wood  ·  Brick  ·  Linen
— i.

Wooden texture

Dark brown, not yellowish. Grounding, warm, never sharp.

— ii.

Brick

Used as background or detail. Lived-in, not industrial.

— iii.

Fabric, linen texture

Neutral earthy color. Soft, breathable, unfussy.

SORE — Brand Guidelines 2026
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SORE — Brand Guidelines
Edition 2026
Take your time. We'll be upstairs.
Japanese Comfort Dining
— A quiet kind of warmth.