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<\/p>\nHungry to start a restaurant of your own? Or looking to rebrand? Time to fill up on restaurant branding tips!<\/p>\n
A well-established restaurant brand sets the tone for your food, differentiates you from competitors, and encourages people to come back for more.<\/p>\n
Take a moment and think about your favorite restaurants, bars, or cafes. What brings you back every time? Is it the type of food or drink? The location? Maybe it has a unique ambiance. Or it\u2019s your favorite because you feel valued as a customer. Believe it or not, all of these questions tie back to branding.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve created an easy to follow checklist for restaurateurs looking to start their first (or upgrade) restaurant. Whether you\u2019re planning to open a bakery, cafe, bar, or bistro, this checklist is for you.<\/p>\n
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Think of your mission statement as the bread and butter of your restaurant brand. This is more for you to use internally as you plan your restaurant behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
A well thought out mission will set the foundation for your restaurant, provide insights to your business strategy, and guide all business decisions. More importantly, your mission statement explains why your business exists.<\/p>\n
A perfect example of a well-constructed mission statement is by Starbucks:<\/p>\n
This mission statement reflects what the company does to keep its business running. In very few words Starbucks communicates its goal for customers, employees, and global impact. Note that this mission statement is sufficiently abstract\u2014 making it applicable to future business scenarios. Ultimately, this mission statement is focused on creating a consistent customer experience.<\/p>\n
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When creating your mission statement, you\u2019ll want to consider these 5 characteristics:<\/p>\n
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Once you have your mission statement set, keep it somewhere visible! That way you and your team can refer back to it throughout the process of developing your brand. Companies that honor their mission and remain consistent are more likely to see growth and future success.<\/p>\n
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Now that you have your mission statement, it\u2019s time to bring your restaurant’s brand to life. An established brand personality will shape the way people feel about your service and create an emotional connection with your brand. Customers are more likely to pursue a brand if their personality is similar to their own.<\/p>\n
Develop your brand personality by first telling your company story. Your brand story can show how your restaurant came to life and why you decided to open a restaurant. This will help differentiate you from competitors and give context to your brand.<\/p>\n
![\"Northshea](\"https:\/\/cdn.logojoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20230622160840\/Screenshot-2023-06-22-at-12.59.45-PM-600x288.jpg\")
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Take Northshea<\/a> for example. This beauty company uses ethically source shea butter to create incredible products that employ Ghanian women in rural Ghana by paying them double the standard wage and providing ample opportunities to enrich their lives.<\/p>\n A purposeful story like this grabs your ideal guests\u2019 attention and activates their emotions. It also develops trust\u2014this brand is run by people who have actually lived in Hawaii and immersed themselves in the food and culture.<\/p>\n Like a fork and knife, your demographic and restaurant location go hand in hand. Before making any major business decisions, like signing the lease to your new restaurant, you\u2019ll need to establish your target audience. Think back to your mission statement and brand personality. When establishing those, who did you imagine walking through your doors?<\/p>\n To start, familiarize yourself with different demographic characteristics like age, gender, or level of income. Did you envision your restaurant becoming the hot new date-night spot, a meetup location for business professionals, or perfect for family bonding?<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also need to consider your price-point and how much you wish to charge your customers. Though some may be alright with paying a pretty penny on a good meal, others will be deterred by hefty prices.<\/p>\n Once you have a good idea of your target audience, you can start scouting a location. More often than not, restaurants fail because the owner(s) didn\u2019t put enough time into researching neighborhoods that suited their desired demographic. Perhaps you\u2019re targeting families, but you chose a location in your city\u2019s financial district. The demographics in that area will be largely business professionals and far from residential areas with families.<\/p>\n Another important consideration when choosing a location is market saturation. You don\u2019t want to open up a Mexican restaurant if there\u2019s already three or four of them on the same street. Get to know what else is being offered in the area and see if your idea will stand out or be drowned out.<\/p>\n Time to talk about the important stuff, food. Don\u2019t be \u201changry\u201d if you haven\u2019t got your menu set in stone yet. This is often an ongoing process for many restaurants and requires a lot of trial and error.<\/p>\n The ideal restaurant menu offers a balance of unique meals and classic dishes. Your menu is one element of your brand that your customer seeks out and comes into contact with more than anything else. Think about your own experiences in choosing a restaurant to dine at. Do you simply walk into the first one you see, or do you browse multiple menus until you find the one that\u2019s right for your appetite?<\/p>\n Your menu should act as a reflection of your mission statement and personality. Offering every type of cuisine under the sun won\u2019t cut it.<\/p>\n For example, are you the kind of establishment that wants to adhere to certain dietary restrictions like plant-based diets? Maybe you\u2019re the type of business that wants to be more sustainable and attract people with your ethically sourced produce?<\/p>\n You can also communicate the story of your restaurant through the overall layout and design of your menu. As the saying goes, \u201cyou eat with your eyes first,\u201d so a well-designed menu will go a long way for your restaurant.<\/p>\n Whether you already have a name or you\u2019re still in the brainstorming stage, your restaurant name should be appropriate and eye-catching. It needs to tell the story of your brand and communicate your mission statement to everyone that sees it.<\/p>\n Your restaurant name should do the following:<\/p>\n <\/div>\n Giving your business a name should be exciting! A clever pun is certainly one of the more humorous ways to come up with a cool restaurant name. Not only are they memorable, but they reflect the personality of your brand. Some real-life examples of pun-based restaurant names are, \u201cWild Thyme Caf\u00e9,\u201d \u201cTequila Mockingbird,\u201d or \u201cLife of Pie.\u201d<\/p>\n If you need some help with coming up with a catchy and creative business name, check out our blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve come up with a tasty company name, you\u2019ll need a logo to go with it. Your restaurant logo should convey the kind of atmosphere guests will experience at your establishment.<\/p>\n Your logo should be strong enough to be visible from the outside of your restaurant as a way to entice people indoors. Make sure to create a logo that is legible and can be printed on various mediums like menus, windows, doors, napkins, signs, etc.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in need of some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing check out our restaurant logo page<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNorthshea is committed to providing a stable livelihood to women living in rural Ghana by providing direct avenues for income and is handcrafted by incredible and hardworking local Ghanaian women.” <\/div>\n3. Pick a demographic and location<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n Tip: The most common mistake restaurants make is trying to appeal to everyone. Just like cilantro, not everyone\u2019s going to like you. Instead, prioritize a demographic that you think will be drawn to your establishment the most. <\/div>\n![\"people](\"https:\/\/cdn.logojoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20200226140225\/matthieu-joannon-Pm6LbiUU2-8-unsplash-min-600x400.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. What\u2019s on the menu?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n Tip: Much like a story, your menu should take your customers on a journey and foster an emotional connection to your brand. <\/div>\n5. Craft a compelling name<\/h2>\n
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6. Design a logo that\u2019s good enough to eat<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n Tip: Use a slogan to specify the type of food you offer or the type of restaurant you run. <\/div>\n\n \n Create your very own logo with our AI-powered logo maker. It\u2019s free to try! <\/h2>\n