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Tsuru Sweets & Coffee

Building a brand rooted in culture, beauty and women’s empowerment

When pastry chef Paola De Maayer approached me while I was Executive Creative Director at Chartreuse Moose, she had a dream: to open a sweets and coffee shop unlike anything in the Triangle.

Born in Costa Rica, Chef Paola moved to the United States and pursued a passion in cooking. It was the allure of confections and sweets that called and inspired her. Hard work, exceptional vision and creative flair earned her positions at acclaimed kitchens including The Fearrington House Restaurant and had even appeared on Food Network’s Chopped Sweets. But what she wanted to create next was deeply personal — a brand rooted in her culture, her passion for confections, and her connection to cacao.

She already had a name. Tsuru.

In the Bribri language of Costa Rica, Tsuru refers to cacao — a sacred ingredient in the indigenous culture where Paola sourced her chocolate. She partnered with a women’s cacao collective in Costa Rica, bringing ethically sourced chocolate directly into her creations.

From the beginning it was clear: this brand needed to tell Paola’s story.

The Strategy

A brand inspired by women, nature and beauty

Our team began by researching the cultural roots of cacao within the Bribri community. What we discovered shaped the foundation of the brand. Bribri culture is matriarchal, with a deep connection between women, cacao and the natural world. In traditional chocolate-making practices, only women are allowed to prepare cacao, reflecting a cultural belief that women share a special connection to the Earth.

That insight helped define the emotional center of the Tsuru brand.

We developed messaging around three core themes:

  1. Empowering Women
    Honoring the Bribri women who cultivate cacao and creating a welcoming space for women in the local community.
  2. Sacred Nature
    Celebrating cacao and coffee as natural gifts while emphasizing responsible sourcing and respect for the environment.
  3. Beauty as Inspiration
    Highlighting the artistry of Paola’s confections, where intricate bonbons and pastries become small works of art.

Together these ideas shaped a brand that felt elegant, inspiring and slightly playful — or as we described it internally: elegant yet sassy.

The Voice

Inspiring, passionate and a little bit sassy

From the earliest brand work, we defined a clear personality for Tsuru. The voice needed to reflect Paola herself — warm, passionate, confident and creative.

We summarized the brand voice with three guiding traits:

  • Inspiring, but not cheesy
  • Passionate, but not egocentric
  • Sassy, but never insulting

This tone carried through everything from store messaging to social media captions.

The brand positioning ultimately became:
For coffee and dessert enthusiasts of the Triangle, Tsuru is a local, elegant-yet-sassy shop that celebrates women, beauty and nature through unique gourmet sweets and coffee responsibly sourced from around the world.

The story:

There were once three sisters that caught the attention of the gods. Among the gods was Sibu, the creator of all things and most powerful. He claimed the sisters as his own.

Two of the sisters were blessed with unearthly beauty, while the third possessed a beautiful, bright and humble spirit. Her name was Tsuru and she loved all things great and small.

Sibu tested the sisters. Taking an ugly human form he approached the women, only to be rejected by the two beautiful sisters because of his appearance. Tsuru saw his inner beauty and accepted him.

Sibu took Tsuru as his wife, turning her into the most beautiful of the three sisters and filling her life with riches and beauty.

The Identity

Designing a brand inspired by cacao

We explored multiple logo concepts, each reflecting different aspects of the brand story — including geometric and organic cacao flowers, symbolic cultural imagery and marks inspired by Bribri folklore.

The visual identity drew heavily from the story of Tsuru and the cacao plant. The mark is made from the parts of the cacao plant. Her hair from cacao pods, the leaf is her head covering and it is adorned with a cacao flower.

The final direction emphasized:

  • Elegant botanical forms
  • Rich tropical colors inspired by Costa Rica
  • Creative yet approachable typography
  • A balance of sophistication and playfulness

The result was a brand that felt artistic, feminine and modern while still rooted in nature.

Bringing the Brand to Life

Our team created a complete launch system for Tsuru, including:

  • Brand identity and guidelines
  • Messaging and brand voice framework
  • Packaging design
  • Store graphics and environmental design
  • Website design
  • Marketing materials for launch

Every touchpoint was designed to reinforce the story of ethically sourced cacao, artistic sweets and women’s empowerment.

A Lasting Impression

Paola was an extraordinary person — vibrant, creative and deeply passionate about her craft. While Tsuru ultimately closed following her passing, the brand she built left a meaningful mark on the community and on everyone who had the opportunity to work with her.

Projects like this are rare: a collaboration where culture, story and design come together to create something truly special.

Tsuru wasn’t just a sweets shop. It was Paola’s spirit, expressed through chocolate.