Merchandise Design Intern
Merchandise Design Intern (Paid Internship)
Location: Chicago, IL (In-Person/Hybrid)
Design the next chapter of restaurant culture.
We're a hospitality company behind five distinct restaurant brands, each with its own personality, story, and loyal following. As we expand beyond food and beverage into branded merchandise, we're looking for a creative, entrepreneurial Merchandise Design Intern to help bring our brands to life through apparel, accessories, and lifestyle products.
This is an exciting opportunity for a design student or recent graduate who is passionate about graphic design, brand storytelling, and consumer products. You'll have the chance to shape merchandise collections from concept to execution while gaining hands-on experience in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
What You'll Do
As our Merchandise Design Intern, you'll work across all five restaurant concepts to help develop unique merchandise that reflects each brand's identity and connects with our guests beyond the dining experience.
Your responsibilities may include:
- Creating original graphic designs for apparel, accessories, packaging, and promotional merchandise
- Developing creative concepts and visual directions for merchandise collections across multiple restaurant brands
- Researching trends in fashion, streetwear, hospitality, and consumer products to inspire new ideas
- Building mood boards, presentations, mockups, and product concepts
- Collaborating with marketing, operations, and leadership teams to translate brand stories into compelling merchandise
- Assisting with product development, vendor coordination, and production preparation
- Supporting merchandise launches, seasonal collections, and special collaborations
- Contributing ideas that balance creativity, brand fit, and business objectives
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- Current student or recent graduate in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, Merchandise Design, or a related field
- Strong graphic design skills with a portfolio showcasing branding, illustration, apparel graphics, or related creative work
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign
- Strong visual storytelling and typography skills
- Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Interest in branding, hospitality, consumer products, and merchandise development
Preferred Qualifications
- Fashion design, apparel design, or fashion merchandising background
- Experience creating graphics for apparel or wearable products
- Knowledge of garment construction, printing techniques, embroidery, or product production processes
- Understanding of consumer trends, retail merchandising, or brand strategy
- Entrepreneurial mindset and curiosity about the business side of creative work
What You'll Gain
This internship offers more than traditional design experience. You'll have the opportunity to:
- Build real-world portfolio pieces that will be seen and purchased by customers
- Gain hands-on experience developing merchandise for multiple established brands
- Learn how creative concepts move from idea to production
- Develop an understanding of brand strategy, product development, and merchandising
- Work directly with decision-makers and contribute meaningful ideas
- Experience the intersection of design, hospitality, fashion, and business
Compensation
This is a paid internship. Compensation will be discussed during the interview process and will be competitive based on experience and qualifications.
Location Requirement
This position is based in Chicago, Illinois. Candidates must be located in the Chicago area or able to reliably commute for in-person collaboration and brand immersion experiences.
Ready to create something people will wear, collect, and love?
We'd love to see your portfolio, your creativity, and the ideas you bring to the table. Apply today and help us build the next generation of merchandise across our growing family of restaurant brands.