The Eldridge Hotel is a 5-star historic hotel and restaurant in the heart of downtown Lawrence, Kansas. I worked there for many years as a server/bartender and developed a rapport with management. My marketing group for my entrepreneurship certificate even worked up a complete marketing package for the Eldridge. I’ve felt very close to this establishment, and by proxy Lawrence in the years that I’ve worked here. And once I got involved with doing graphic design freelance it seemed only natural that I would extend that offer to my employer. It has provided me with work ranging from advertisements and flyers for the speakeasy bar in the basement to classy restaurant and bar advertisements.

The first piece I did was a flyer for the grand opening of their speakeasy club. Being a historic hotel it only seemed natural that they would open a speakeasy as no doubt the hotel had a rich history with prohibition. They had a banquet hall with a bar in the basement already established and simply converted it for repeated public use. The banquet hall itself had a rich history was was called the “Big 6 ballroom” with it’s own logo and specific decor. I was inspired by both the speakeasy aspect as well as the live jazz music we would feature each week.

The second piece that I did was a flyer for the Eldridge’s well renowned Sunday Brunch. I frequently worked the brunch shift and enjoyed our regular patrons and the overall atmosphere. The flyer we had was dated and confusing to customers, and so I stepped in to assist. I reorganized the information and made it simple and legible, but added enough design flair to keep it interesting. I scoured the archives for the perfect photo and found an old banquet arrangement of fruit that caught my eye. I took an action shot with my iphone one more while we set up and the flyer just came together. If you ever find yourself in Lawrence I highly recommend Eldridge brunch, definitely worth it!

The last design I did for the Eldridge was a second advertisement for an event in the Big 6 Ballroom in the basement of the Eldridge Hotel. The speakeasy was open just one night a week and to attract new business would host live music and swing dancing events. Anything that fit the mood the bar was trying to encourage. The KU swing society was holding a speakeasy event and needed a flyer to advertise. I whipped something together quickly and they loved it’s simple design and layout.

I enjoyed the time I spent working for and with the Eldridge Hotel, it’s become an integral part of my Lawrence experience.