For: Zebu Forno Franchise LLC, Red Bank, N.J.
From: Parness & Associates, Aberdeen, NJ
For Immediate Release
ORIGINAL MURALS BY LOCAL NJ ARTIST CONTRIBUTE TO ZEBU FORNO'S WARM AND ECLECTIC ENVIRONMENT
RED BANK, N.J. (8/8/07) - Along with freshly prepared baked goods, sandwiches, pizzas and beverages, visitors to Zebu Forno locations in Red Bank and Holmdel enjoy the restaurants' inviting, relaxed setting. But beyond features like free Wi-Fi, strategically placed flat screen TVs and comfortable seating, the restaurants' eclectic atmosphere is capped off with original murals and paintings by New Jersey artist Gregg Hinlicky, each celebrating great artists of the past.
When commissioned by Zebu to create artwork for the flagship Red Bank location in 2001, Hinlicky said he selected "great artists of the past" as the theme because he witnessed the influx of artistic and creative people in the Monmouth County town and the number of gallery openings that followed. Titled Artistic Nourishment, the 252" x 60" mural in Red Bank features Hinlicky's portraits of Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Salvadore Dali, Andy Warhol, Thomas Hart Benton, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georgia O'Keefe, Maxfield Parrish, Pablo Picasso and Norman Rockwell.
The recently opened franchised location at The Commons at Holmdel houses two Hinlicky murals. The 180" x 60" Artistic Nourishment - 2 features portraits of Leonardo da Vinci, Jackson Pollock, Paul Gauguin, N.C. Wyeth, and James McNeill Whistler. Artistic Nourishment-3 includes such artists as Freda Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Paul Cezanne on a 252" x 60" canvas positioned near the front of the store.
Each mural contains artists representing different genres of art. Numbered guides to the artists depicted on the murals are provided on colorful Zebu Forno bookmarks distributed at the counter.
Although future Zebu locations will also feature the "great artists" series, Hinlicky noted that he likes to give each store its own personality and does so by selecting a color pallet appropriate to each location. For the Red Bank store, he selected a classic palette with darker hues. In the Holmdel store—whose front and mid sections are bathed in natural light, Artistic Nourishment-3 utilizes a more impressionistic palette, while Artistic Nourishment - 2 employs richer, deeper tones to give a more comfortable feeling to the rear of the location.
Hinlicky also created a variety of other paintings and graphic elements for Zebu Forno, including the company's colorful logo, which marries a stylized "Z" with the image of steam emanating from the restaurant's coffee and ovens.
"Gregg's colorful murals have helped set the stage for the relaxed atmosphere which has become a hallmark of Zebu," said Andrew Gennusa, president of Zebu Forno Franchise LLC. "His works are true conversation pieces and it is not uncommon to see customers walking around the stores with the bookmarks in hand to learn who is on each mural. We look forward to continue working with Gregg as we develop Zebu into a regional brand with upwards of 20 franchised locations in the next three to five years."
Hinlicky has over 30 years experience in advertising, marketing, and editorial art and design. Since 1991, he has been the proprietor of the Gregg Hinlicky Studio in Toms River, a freelance design service specializing in advertising and editorial design, art direction, illustration/painting (general & mural) and package design.
He has worked in a freelance capacity for many leading advertising agencies including Young & Rubicam, Chiat/Day, DBB&O and J. Walter Thompson. Over the years, his clients have included Miller Brewing Company, Molson Brewing AT&T, Bell Atlantic, Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, Coty cosmetics, Hershey's Candy, The Olive Garden Restaurant, R.J. Reynolds, Pepsi Cola, Lufthansa Airlines, Citibank, Chemical Bank, American Express, Sheraton Hotels, Ikea Furniture, Toyota Automotive Corporation, Buick, Chrysler Automotive Corp. His work has appeared in print, on video, record and cassette covers, in television commercials and on packages, labels, brochures and international postage stamps.
A lifelong New Jersey resident, Hinlicky graduated from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art and attended The School of Visual Arts in New York.
For more information on Gregg Hinlicky, visit www.gregghinlicky.com. For more information on Zebu Forno, visit www.Zebuforno.com.
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Press Contacts: At Parness & Associates Public Relations: Bill Parness or Lisa Kreda, (732) 290-0121, parnespr@optonline.net; at Zebu Forno, Andrew Gennusa, president, (732) 245-2320.
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