No Anchor is a beer-focused bar and restaurant founded by Anu & Chris Elford in 2016. This talented couple decided to start two restaurants simultaneously in Seattle (along with Navy Strength), partnering with chef Jeffrey Vance and trusting Forest with the branding, art direction and environmental design of both concepts. No Anchor was named a James Beard Best New Restaurant semi-finalist in 2017.
photographs by Luke McKinley
The logo was a collaboration with designer Thomas Sullivan. Inspirations included a Carl Sandburg poem (see very bottom image of this page), the golden age of sailor tattoo culture, cabinet of curiosities, and the symbology of the upside-down anchor:
“The upside down anchors (years ago) was the way they were positioned on a boat when the fisherman decided to stop work for the day and sail home.”
Chris Elford’s desire to serve beer at the highest standards created a specific need to develop a system for a consistently rotating draft list and menu, both in printed form and physically in the room. Beers are categorized by serving temperature (42ºF and 52ºF), and placed on a Cartesian graph (based on qualities of ‘approachable’ or ‘esoteric,’ and ‘modern’ or ‘traditional’). We designed a large-format magnetic display for the bar which corresponds to the printed menu. Interior design by Atelier Drome Architecture.
