Restaurant name : How to brand a restaurant?

Published 11.18.2021 - Last update 06.14.2024
Restaurant owner
Table of contents
  1. How do I choose a restaurant name ?
  2. You're not working with TheFork yet ?
  3. How to design a restaurant logo ?
  4. What messages do different colors send to diners?
  5. How do I choose a slogan for a restaurant ?

In today's world, storytelling and social channels  dominate consumers, making your restaurant brand a very important asset.

Through your restaurant brand you can build a recognizable identity, which can be used above all at multiple levels of communication. Your restaurant brand will help in marketing your restaurant and attracting new diners. The restaurant brand and brand name is how diners will perceive your restaurant and entice them to choose your restaurant when looking to dine or when they stumble across your website, TheFork restaurant page, etc.,

Your restaurant brand should give every diner a unique feeling that they associate directly with your restaurant. This makes your restaurant memorable and enticing, attracting more diners both online in the digital space as well as offline through diner word of mouth. 

From the restaurant logo to website design to tone of voice, building a restaurant brand can be quite complex but here we have outlined the answer to the common questions to tackle when asking yourself how to brand a restaurant:

How do i choose a restaurant name ?

How to design a restaurant logo ?

How do i choose a slogan for a restaurant ?

 

How do I choose a restaurant name ?

A restaurant name is not only important because it is your restaurant identifier , but also because it's one of those things that can be a nightmare to change. Your restaurant brand will be directly linked to the name of your restaurant, and all the work you have dedicated to bring your restaurant to life, it deserves the perfect name and should be something you dedicate real thought to. 

First things first when thinking of a restaurant name, you should define your restaurant values and mission. This will help you with the tone of your name and decide if you want a restaurant name with a tone that is fun, nostalgic, luxurious, quirky, etc.,

Your restaurant name idea can be inspired by topics like:

  • Cuisine type 
  • Community or location
  • Descriptive words about your restaurant environment 
  • Names of people
  • Personal stories or nostalgic things related to your restaurant 

This is your chance to really get creative and personal. 

Try to find a restaurant name that stands out and isn’t already taken 

We know that there are tons of restaurants and it may be hard to find a name that no one else has and the simplicity of choosing a generic restaurant name is enticing, but it is important both brand wise and for the future of your restaurant endeavors to really put time into your restaurant name. Having a unique restaurant name will help you always be top of mind when diners search your restaurant and make your restaurant more memorable and recognizable. In addition to that, having a name that is not common, makes it easier to trademark your restaurant name and create things like restaurant merch.

Search restaurant name availability using:

Simple Google searches 

Trademark search databases and Business registration databases 

The good thing about cracking things like a restaurant name is that you don't have to do it alone! Get ideas and opinions from friends and family , utilize name generators online to bring inspiration, or do a paid online poll.

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How to design a restaurant logo ?

If creating your restaurant name didn't bring the creative spirit out of you, designing your restaurant logo definitely will! Again, it might seem enticing to go the generic route and be very simplistic, but this is a great place in which you can really shine in branding and create a recognizable piece of your restaurant! 

restaurant brand identity design

The restaurant logo will be everywhere your restaurant is and across all communication channels. 

When designing your restaurant logo you can hone in on a few design elements like:

  • Shapes 
  • Colors 
  • Fonts
  • Special Characters

Utilizing design elements like colors can convey different subtle messages to your diners in their first look. Strategically choosing restaurant colors and colors that work well together is an important step when designing a restaurant logo.

What messages do different colors send to diners?

See how some of the most commonly used colors in restaurant logos make your diners feel at first glance.

 

Red

Red is an exciting color normally invoking intense feelings which can range to be good or bad, it's a bold choice!

Blue is a color that incites a soothing and calming feeling

Yellow is a fun and uplifting color, bringing a  joyful feeling

Green invokes feelings of health, vitality, and nature

Black , much more heavy gives the feeling of sophistication, timelessness, and prestige

Explore logos of popular restaurants and brands you appreciate to draw inspiration, and feel confident in consulting help from designers or online tools like Canva to get your logo design going!

How do I choose a slogan for a restaurant ?

We all know one brand that we can never miss because of their memorable slogans! A slogan is a catchy phrase that represents your restaurant. Think of your restaurant slogan as a simplified mission statement of your restaurant in a creative way. The slogan should be inline with your overall restaurant communication tone of voice and make sense when you share it on places like your marketing material or menu for example. 

As long as the message is clear, a restaurant slogan can be as long or short as you need to get your message across, but just remember you want to leave your diners with a little mystery enticing them to see your restaurant and what it has to offer.

All in all, choosing a restaurant name will be the very beginning of where you start to build your restaurant brand and how your diners will know you. The best part is, your restaurant name, logo, and slogan can't go wrong if it represents what your restaurant means to you and should mean to your diners!

 

Table of contents
  1. How do I choose a restaurant name ?
  2. You're not working with TheFork yet ?
  3. How to design a restaurant logo ?
  4. What messages do different colors send to diners?
  5. How do I choose a slogan for a restaurant ?
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