Whistlepig BBQ burst onto the Charlotte food scene in 2016, bringing a unique flavor to the community each weekend through late fall. Planning its return to 501 N. Cochran Avenue on April 7, the seasonal eatery has stepped up its efforts to solidify its brand in 2017.
Owners Jason and Melissa Strotheide knew they had established a menu that catered to the local community, now they needed to focus on their branding. They turned to Michaelle Converse, Charlotte Middle School art teacher for inspiration. By creating a competition among Converse’s students, the Strotheides were able to select a logo created through hometown imagination.
Adrianna Butler, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Charlotte Middle School, hit the right note for the Strotheides.
“Her whistling pig captured everything we were looking for,” Melissa said.
Butler’s creation was incorporated in the restaurant’s new logo and will appear on t-shirts to start.
“It’s so cool,” Butler said. “It’s a really big honor to be picked, there were so many other good artists.”
Butler said she came up with the concept for the logo pretty quickly. Melissa said the instructions for the competition were pretty vague, asking only to include a whistling pig and a train. She said the entries they received were great, but that Butler’s really stood out.
Butler received a $25 cash prize for the winning entry and the honor of seeing her artwork on t-shirts and signs throughout the community.
Whistlepig BBQ, located at 501 N. Cochran Avenue (across from Swampers) is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until the food runs out. They open for the 2017 season on Friday, April 7.
