Restaurant Branding & Public Relations Experts
Design firms and restaurant branding firms are more different than one may think. The restaurant industry is turbulent and highly competitive. You need more than someone who can make things “look cool.” You need someone who can properly encapsulate the restaurant’s experience in a visual context; a story. This has to be done with acute attention to budget while maximizing return on investment.
Vigor is a collective of restaurant brand designers, public relations gurus, web developers, restaurant consultants and chefs spearheaded by one restaurant branding expert, Joseph Szala.
Joseph Szala
Principal + Creative Director
As Vigor’s founding Principal and Creative Director, Joseph finds passion through creating new, innovative restaurant brand experiences from the ground up. He sees the big picture. He sees what could be and actively guide Vigor’s clients towards that ideal.
Joseph developed experience in the restaurant world while holding multiple positions (counter help to baker to store manager) at a bakery in Pennsylvania. During his years of employment he sought to perfect every position held. After working in the industry for years, Joseph attended a private visual communications college and developed his design skills. After college he worked for a number of agencies in Pennsylvania and New York while building Vigor.
Vigor officially moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2010 at which point Joseph combined his years of experience with creative excellence to build it into the premier restaurant branding, marketing and public relations firm it is today.
Amy Barbieri
New Business Director
As Vigor’s VP and Strategist Amy Barbieri oversees multiple aspects of the business including new and existing client Development. Amy has over a decade of experience in Technology and Marketing sales. Amy also oversees client relations and work flow processes to make sure that our clients are receiving nothing less than exceptional service and results. Amy’s impressive career includes Marketing agency sales and project management, Feature Producer for Modern Luxury Media ( the country’s largest city magazine publisher), and business development with Social Media Technology giant Vitrue.
Kelly Wallace
Account Executive
Coordinates strategy implementation, lead generation and account maintenance
Kelly actively manages six restaurant marketing and public relations accounts on a daily basis. She composes and distributes press materials for new launches, special events and larger client initiatives and manages client events including media conferences and promotional launches.
Before joining Vigor, Kelly worked at Diane von Furstenberg in New York City as a public relations and marketing intern where she assisted with the creation, implementation and execution of public relations events and initiatives. She also managed and distributed samples to major publications and VIP celebrities. She further honed her skills with Atlanta-based Trevelino/Keller Communications Group where she was a valuable asset to the firm, which specializes in the technology, B2B, lifestyle, greenworks and franchising sectors.
A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama.
Jeronimo Herrera
Graphic Designer
Hailing from South America, and with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, I bring international flair and a cultured eye to every design I produce. With 12 years of experience under my belt and the skills to prove it, I’m guided by a simple concept, “the power of good ideas”. I believe in good ideas and in not just trying to think outside the box but imagining a world without boxes. Because skills can be outsourced and talent can only take you so far but an idea can live forever. In a world of scarcity, creativity is our only true renewable resource.
Blake Moore
Web Developer
Blake Moore touts over 10 years of web development and design experience. He’s quick, on point and can put together even the most complex of web solutions.
Carlos Noguera
Web Developer
Carlos Noguera has over 15 years of web development under his belt. Able to think of new ideas and new solutions for our clients, he brings with him an arsenal of talent.
