House of Payne

As digital-printing technology improves, more and more companies are taking advantage of this dynamic medium to publicize, modernize and generally increase brand awareness.

For example, the recent makeover of Gold Star Chili’s Cincinnati restaurants is centered around interior murals, which wouldn’t have made fiscal sense even five years ago.

The chili chain recruited nationally known illustrator (and Cincinnati native) C.F. Payne to create the artwork. Best-known for his cover illustrations for such publications as Time, Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest, the New York Times Book Review and the Atlantic Monthly, the sought-after artist probably would’ve been too busy to create the mural artwork full-size, let alone in multiple locations.

With the help of digital-output technology, Payne created the original in his studio and worked in his traditional method. The final product, after having been reproduced and installed like wallpaper, is a panoramic mural that depicts a daily slice of life in a Gold Star Chili restaurant. From kids having their first cheese coney to teenagers on a first date to a family dining at night to returning veterans craving a taste of home, this original painting captures the essence of the Cincinnati-style-chili dining experience with emotion and humor.

Based on the success of this project, more murals will be installed in the near future.