The inspiration for the round design and curvy hand written font comes largely from the classic roadside signs of various one-off eateries and diners scattered across the country. The choice of the blue and white color scheme is based on the same colors used by the University of North Carolina. While there is no direct connection between the company and the university this was done at the request of the owner as a way of representing the state of North Carolina.

Originally the full name of the company was supposed to be Tar River BBQ North Carolina Style Rub & Seasoning. I was able to convince the owner to shorten it to just Tar River Seasonings. Seeing as how the full name would have made introducing new products difficult as each new item would require it's own logo.

Early drafts of the logo were more linear and also made an effort to work in elements of the North Carolina flag. This was dropped from the final design as the North Carolina flag is surprisingly difficult to work with. If not depicted correctly it can easily be mistaken for the Texas flag which has a very similar design. The appearance was kept simple both at the owners request and to help distinguish it from other brands. The iconography typically associated with BBQ is often graphically very dense and heavily relies on the use of cartoon animals.  

As the design moved forward the round "road sign" became the preferred shape of the logo and the decision to use the UNC blue was made. More variants to be used on letterheads and business cards began to be developed as well. 

The final design was lighten to just the name of the company and the text given a more uniform appearance. A small darker blue drop shadow was added to give the logo a sense of being 3D and help drive home the idea that this might something you see on the side of a restaurant as you make your way across the country.