Social Value
An inspiring project to deliver a strong design concept and brand to support the launch of Home Kitchen, a London restaurant that aims to address the homelessness crisis. The brand campaign helped raise much needed funding, attracted global press coverage and transformed a bold idea into a thriving social enterprise in the hospitality sector.
On any given night, an estimated 274,000 people are homeless in the UK, with 180,000 of those in London alone. The stigma attached to homelessness makes it invisible to most of society, even though the UK has by far the highest rate of homelessness in the developed world.
So when Capgemini Invent was invited to take part in a project that would give dignity, employment and hope to homeless people, it jumped at the opportunity. Home Kitchen, a London restaurant that opened in 2024, was conceived by its co-founders – entrepreneur Michael Brown, charity director Alex Brown and Michelin two-starred chef Adam Simmonds – to address the homelessness crisis.
The founders wanted to provide homeless people with jobs and skills with which to build positive futures, while also reshaping the public’s perception of homelessness. In addition, they wanted the project – a fine dining restaurant – to be economically viable and scalable.
Capgemini Invent’s creative agency frog was engaged to deliver a strong design concept and brand that would help raise seed capital for Home Kitchen and attract an enthusiastic audience for its launch. The task was to generate an emotional connection with audiences by combining fine dining with a story of opportunity and community.
London is not short of fine dining experiences. The challenge was to attract discerning diners who would also be inspired by the purpose and inclusivity of Home Kitchen’s broader mission. This needed to be done without making those working in the restaurant the subjects of pity or sympathy – rather as sources of inspiration, resilience and learning.
The approach taken was to build a brand that radiated warmth, inclusivity and purpose. The team built a visual identity for the restaurant and gave Home Kitchen a distinctive voice that could articulate its unique story. Digital, media and social media campaigns were deployed, building the Home Kitchen narrative on the stories of its workers and showcasing the lives positively impacted by the project.
Hot pinks and neon greens were matched with bold designs that enabled Home Kitchen to challenge the traditional image of fine dining and to stand out in a crowded marketplace. These were activated not only in the interior design, but also on menus and throughout publicity materials.
Home Kitchen launched in September 2024 in a blaze of positive publicity. The restaurant has been profiled around the world with broadcasters and publications from the UK, Germany and the US showcasing its brilliant food and unique social model.
With the aid of Capgemini’ Invents branding and communications work, Home Kitchen raised more than £450,000 from donors to turn a bold idea into a thriving social enterprise in the hospitality sector. More than 20 homeless people have found meaningful work.
Following the success of its London restaurant, investors and locations have been lined up for expansion into new sites in Brighton and San Francisco, maintaining momentum and underlining the commercial viability of the project.
View the Capgemini Invent profile in the MCA Members Directory.