Case Study: Hana's Roulet TEA — From Concept to Installed Sign in Markham
The Brief
Hana's Roulet TEA is a bubble tea and dessert concept that opened in Markham, Ontario in early 2025. The owners came to BestSigns with a clear brand identity — playful typography, a warm colour palette, and a desire for a sign that would stand out in a plaza anchored by several Asian restaurants.
The challenge: the unit's fascia was relatively narrow (approximately 12 feet wide), and the plaza sign criteria required all tenant signs to be individual illuminated letters — no lightbox cabinets.
Design Process
Working from the client's existing logo files, our design team produced three rendering concepts:
- Front-lit channel letters — the most cost-effective option, with LED faces in brand colours
- Halo-lit (reverse-lit) channel letters — letters with the LED source directed toward the wall, creating a soft backlit halo effect
- 3D dimensional letters with a combination front/halo configuration — the premium option
The client chose option 3. The dimensional letters were specified at 18 inches in height for the main wordmark and 12 inches for the descriptor line, in an acrylic-faced aluminum return construction with white LED modules.
Permit Application
The sign required a fascia sign permit from the City of Markham. Markham's sign by-law (By-law 2014-08) has distinct requirements from Toronto, including maximum letter heights relative to fascia area and restrictions on the use of logo panels alongside letter sets.
BestSigns prepared the permit drawings and submitted to the City of Markham's Building Department. The permit was approved in approximately 5 weeks.
Fabrication
Fabrication was completed in our North York facility. Key steps included:
- CNC routing of aluminum letter returns to specified dimensions
- Acrylic face cutting and colour-matching to brand Pantone specifications
- LED module installation and wiring to a UL-listed power supply
- Pre-installation mock-up to verify letter spacing and overall layout
Total fabrication time: 3 weeks from permit approval.
Installation
Installation was completed in a single day by our crew. The letters were mounted to an aluminum raceway (a horizontal mounting bar) to simplify electrical connections and ensure structural integrity on the stucco fascia. The raceway was colour-matched to the wall to minimize visual impact.
Result
The installed sign exceeded the client's expectations in terms of nighttime visibility and brand presence. The halo-lit effect — uncommon in the immediate area — created a distinctive look that aligned with the brand's premium positioning relative to other bubble tea shops in the plaza.
Total project timeline from first consultation to installation: 11 weeks.