Outline-Designed Heyday Is Making Canned Beans Cool

Canned beans have an image problem.

When one thinks of tinned legumes, images of campfire dinners and struggle meals come to mind. Some might also associate the toot fruits with a bland flavor profile and how the labels are generally lacking in the looks department.

But beans also have a lot going for them—they're versatile and can be incorporated into the main dish or served on the side. Being plant-based is a given, and beans can be seasoned and spiced up while maintaining that vegan pedigree.

Heyday is a food startup aiming to reposition canned beans as delicious and modern with contemporary design and recipes. Heyday’s offerings include Tomato a la Vodka Cannellini Beans, Enchilada Black Beans, Kimchi Sesame Navy Beans, Apricot Glazed Baked Beans, Coconut Curry Chickpeas, and Harissa Lemon Chickpeas.

“Heyday is for people who love great food but don’t always have the time, energy, or know-how to cook fully from scratch,” said Kat Kavner, co-founder and CEO of Heyday. “We think about our core consumer as the modern home cook who loves spending time in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes, and staying up to date with the latest and greatest cookbooks, recipe Substacks, and food trends. 

"Even though that person may love spending hours in the kitchen on a Sunday, they still regularly find themselves on a weeknight after work with no plan of what to make for dinner, staring blankly into an empty fridge and just wanting something quick and effortless to pull together with whatever they have on hand," Kavner added. "Heyday steps in for those moments to bring the flavors you need to toss together a great home-cooked meal.”

Branding and packaging by studio Outline, based in Charleston, South Carolina, has strong home chef vibes. The label designs add a sense of warmth and comfort reminiscent of an elevated home meal made with care, love, and memorable ingredients. The custom and pantry-inspired typography and ingredient illustrations strengthen the premium, updated feel. What's more, the studio imbued Heyday with plenty of mid-century nostalgia. It is a reminder that food is generational, whether it’s a parent sharing a recipe or kids gathering around the table at dinner.

“Heyday’s brand intent was always to blend whiffs of nostalgia in a modern presentation. Canning is old school; the canned food aisle is a little dusty. Heyday is doing something fresh and flavorful, truly new and authentically fun,” said Ky Allport, creative director at Outline. “We wanted to bring that to life through color, pattern, voice, and all the little details you’d encounter as you get to know a brand. While it’s store-based and shelf-centric, we still approached Heyday with the same richness we’d apply to a lifestyle or DTC brand, making canned food fun again.”

According to Ky, Outline wanted to create a world that feels like an unfussy dinner party where the evening unfolds organically and gets anchored by great music, laughs, and a delicious spread. Outline found inspiration in screen-printed culinary posters and matchbooks from the 50s and 60s and became enamored by the slight imperfections that occur during the printing process. 

“Nothing in the Heyday world is too pristine or perfect – Heyday embraces imperfection, improvisation, and joy—just like the best dinner get-togethers,” Allport said.

Heyday is starting DTC sales soon, with in-store sales coming shortly afterward.

Photography: Andria Lo

Photography Assistant: Rachel Holmes

Food styling: Betsy Haley

Prop styling: Anna Raben