How Important is the Name of Your Restaurant on Your Business

The name of your restaurant is your first step in branding. It is pivotal to your identity and your image.

Your restaurant name has the power to increase and enhance your business while driving customer traffic. When you pick the right name, it enhances every part of your business.

Pick the right name for your restaurant, and it accurately describes your food, service and atmosphere. It sets you apart from the competition.

In this article, we answer the question, “How important is the name of your restaurant or business?”

Your Signage Tells Who You Are

Let’s get right to the point. Putting your name on your business is important. It’s how you present yourself to the public.

First, the type of sign you choose and where you put it influences how your customers view your restaurant.

Your sign tells them what kind of restaurant you are. It also gives customers a peek into the quality of your restaurant. (tweet this)

Let’s look at a few perceived connotations based on what kind of sign you have and where you put it.

For example, people often see a small sign and think your restaurant is upscale, while a large, brightly lit sign conveys a less upscale image and a more affordable restaurant.

If you choose to put the name of your restaurant on the front window glass, you tell people that you don’t have any pretensions, but you are a classy restaurant.

It seems the classiest of eateries often have the smallest of names or logos in view.

Consider the above the door signage centered perfectly versus the signage that is slightly off-kilter. A centered sign suggests that you favor order and formality. An off-center sign suggests you are a trendy spot that dares to be different.

The colors and fonts you choose also send a signal to passersby about your restaurant type. Some colors and fonts are more formal, while others can be traditional, simple or trendsetting.

Whatever sign you choose, you want it to look professional, so it pays to hire a designer to create it.

Now that you know how important your name and logo are to your restaurant, let’s look at how to pick the perfect name.

Do Your Research

When coming up with the perfect name and logo, you want to do your research first.

Brainstorm with a few other people and come up with some ideas. Do a keyword search online to help get you started.

Check out your competition so you know what they’re doing, but be sure to make your name and logo unique so there isn’t any confusion about who you are.

Name = Brand

Your name should be easy to spell, understand and pronounce.

The name shouldn’t create any confusion for your brand. It shouldn’t be close to any other restaurant in town, and it should portray what you stand for.

Your name is the pinnacle of your brand. You want it to evoke the feeling of your food and communicate your concept.

Know About Your Audience

When choosing a name, consider your target audience. For example, if you’re concept is family-friendly, pick a name that appeals to young families.

If you’re an upscale bistro, you want to choose a name that appeals to your target audience.

Bottom line – don’t just pick a name because you like it. Pick it because your customers will like it.

Choose One That Grows with You

Times change, and you want your name to grow with you.

Think about how your restaurant may evolve going forward. What growth avenues do you expect? What direction does your business plan take you?

You want to make sure your name can grow with you. It can be costly to have to re-brand your restaurant if you don’t choose a name that can mature with you. (tweet this)

Be Unique

Your name can help you stand apart from your competition.

Be creative and unique and choose a name that is distinguishable from others.

Think About the Optics

Graphic designers often lament name choices when having to create logos.

Choose a name that will lend itself well to your logo and signage. For example, a five-word name is going to be hard to fit on signage, packaging, digital platforms and other promotional materials.

Think about how your name will work for a domain name for your restaurant website. Is it one that people will easily remember and can spell?

Your name is how people will recognize you and remember you, so you want it to communicate the right message in as few words as possible.

Test Your Name

Before finalizing your name and your logo, you want to run it by other people.

Consider it a beta test and involve friends, family and neighbors. Ask them what they think about your name and how it makes them feel. Find out if they think it succinctly says who you are.

You might even give your testers several choices of your name and logo. This will help you test your name and logo further to find out if they attract the tester’s attention and communicate your brand.

Don’t share your preference when testing, though. Just ask for feedback. You might find they all like your logo or that they collectively find another one more appealing.

In addition, they might offer suggestions for fine tuning your final choice.

Final Thoughts

The name of your restaurant is the pinnacle of your marketing and branding efforts. It shows who and what you are and helps customers not only find you but identify with you.

So, it pays to choose your name wisely. It is also highly beneficial to display your name on your business so it attracts attention.

You have a small window of opportunity to attract customers as they walk or drive by your restaurant. This is why your signage is so important.

So, we answer the question, “How important is the name of your restaurant on your business?” It turns out that putting the name of your restaurant on your business is very important.

You don’t want to miss any passersby or people trying to find your location. You want to capture all of the traffic you can, so if your signage isn’t up to par, it’s time to add it to your business to increase your customer base.

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but we’ll highlight your restaurant name and logo on your website. Ready to take the plunge and create a website with an online menu, blog and beautiful photos? Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Antonio Barroro and Roman Arkhipov