The Sassy Pig is a barbecue restaurant in Blaine, Minnesota. The owners had a demanding schedule, and a need to transform their existing restaurant space with incredible speed. Furthermore, they desired a unique brand identity for future restaurants. Within weeks, Conrad + Nutt Studio developed the concept to transform this former Italian restaurant into a place for BBQ. Both principals of Conrad + Nutt grew up in the South and had frequented their share of BBQ joints. They were well versed in the default cliche of roadside nostalgia and red checkerboard. The owners and the design team desired a reinterpretation of the BBQ restaurant that was a bit...well...sassy. The materials typically found in old Southern BBQ joints, such as weathered steel, knotty pine, and wire mesh, have been amplified here in a fresh, fun, and deliberate manner. The colors are bright and warm, and the furnishings remain eclectic, evoking a summer picnic. The Sassy Pig is a modern, vibrant twist to a deeply historic, well-known restaurant typology.