Do you know how to name a restaurant? If you’re naming a restaurant there a few things to keep in mind. Find the best dining names.
How to Name a Restaurant
That’s it, you know it, you’re the best chef out there. You’re ready to show the world and open your restaurant, but what to name it?!
When naming a restaurant, diner, bistro, cafe or other dining establishment, consider unique and evocative business names, names, that are short, powerful and easy to remember. And of course make sure that the exact match dot-com domain name is available and that there are no trademark infringement issues. You can hire the best naming architecture firm in the world and they’ll give you the greatest name ever, but we at Brandings say, “if you can’t get the domain, you got to rename.”
The idea of using a firm to create the perfect restaurant name only to find out that the dot-com domain is not available or that the name is already in use was one of the inspirations for the creation of Brandings.
We’ve built our business on stories of frustration, wasted time and wasted capital of people doing everything we’ve just mentioned, restaurant or otherwise. Our clients appreciate the comprehensive brand packages offered at Brandings where all of names have been tested for industry suitability, screened, designed and are available immediately.
Enjoy the article below written from someone that has lived through naming a restaurant and running it and please, if you have any questions or are interested in any of our restaurant naming packages feel free to contact the Brandings Client Service Team today at 1-800-852-8900.
PS – if you want to check out some of the pre-developed names for a restaurant click here: Available Names for a Restaurant.
Available Names for a Restaurant:
How to Name a Restaurant Business
By Patrick Sutherland
One of the most important aspects of coming up with a successful restaurant concept is naming it appropriately. A restaurant name, along with other branding will come to represent everything that you offer in the way of food, service and atmosphere. It will allow you to reinforce your reputation in the market and to develop a valuable brand over time that customers immediately recognize for its high standards.
A great name will help to get people in the door and once they have left it should leave enough of an impression on them so that they remember it and tell friends about it. Here are some tips for naming a restaurant business.
- Think of a name that will appeal to the market that you are trying to target. It could be sophisticated, chic, exotic, ethnic, humorous or simple and practical depending on the crowd that you are trying to attract.
- When deciding on a name you may consider something that suits your location, theme or style of cuisine. Keep in mind though that if you want to expand into more than one restaurant under the same brand then incorporating the location into the name may not be the best idea. The name should immediately let customers know the kind of food and the experience that they can expect if they choose to dine in your establishment.
- Incorporating the name of the owner into the restaurant name can offer a nice personal touch and hint at personalized service or old family recipes. While you will still be able to sell the restaurant at some point in the future it may be harder to find potential buyers if you do this though. Prospective owners may feel that the name won’t work so well anymore if the original owner who the restaurant was named after is no longer there.
- Try to come up with a name that is unique and original. Make sure that it is clearly distinguished from competitors in your area and that it stands out in the local market. Make sure that you will have full rights to the name and that it is not already a trademark of another company.
- You will at some point require a website for your restaurant and will need an appropriate domain name. Do a quick check to make sure that a suitable one is available before deciding.
- Great business names are memorable and easy to pronounce. Do a test-run with your family and friends by reading them a list of options that you are considering and then see if they can remember them a few days later, and pronounce them correctly.
- Consider hiring a naming specialist. This will require additional expense but may not be as silly as it sounds. A great name will be one of the major factors contributing to your businesses success and if you are entering a competitive environment then professional help may be justified. Changing a restaurant name can be a nightmare when you consider the printing costs and the loss of goodwill that has been built up with customers under the original name. Making sure that you get the naming decision right the first time round can save you a lot of hassles further down the road.
Whatever you do, recognize the importance of your restaurants name and the importance it will play in your marketing efforts. Get your restaurant off to the best possible start by giving this decision the attention that it deserves.
– For articles on restaurant design and layout among other topics of interest to those opening their own restaurant visit -Start a Restaurant article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Sutherland
Update – We’ve been reading and updating our blogs recently, as the world and this industry changes and we have to say, we still couldn’t agree more with the authors statement.
We agree even more now about his idea about hiring a naming company! Sorry, but we couldn’t help add a little self-promotion but, we do name quite a few restaurants. We’re not sure who 
really thinks that hiring a naming company is silly but still the article has really great points.
We also couldn’t agree more with the authors statement about the need for an exact match domain name for your restaurant and we’ll go even more; you have to have the exact match dot-com domain name. One thing about a restaurant is that you can just add the word “restaurant” to the end of your name idea and you might find that more dot-com domains open up to you but, if you can afford it and you don’t want people getting lost when typing in “restaurant” then go for the shorter.
The author also encourages incorporating the Chef or owner into the name but, this could cause trouble at some point down the line you’re considering selling the restaurant. This would work perhaps if you are the Celebrity Chef / Owner and your career is based on your fame.
Either way, this was and is still a great article and if you’re ready to name your restaurant, excellent advice.
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Thanks for your comment. We spend a lot of time thinking about what makes an outstanding restaurant name and business names in general. Your restaurant name can get people in the door it’s going to be your food and service that keeps them there but the name can drive traffic.
Thanks for your comment and please let us know if we can help you name your restaurant.
Great but do you think one of your “brandable” names would work for a restaurant?
Yes absolutely. The beauty of a brandable business name is that they will work for just about any business including a restaurant. Now that said our experts do say that not every brandable will work for every business but surely one of them will.
Our research has found that restaurant names should warm and welcoming and if you’re working with a brandable restaurant name we suggest that the name should be reminiscent of the type of food that you’ll be serving. If you’re an all American restaurant, then an “American Sounding” domain name and restaurant name. If you’re serving Middle Eastern food, then the same is true.
The name of your restaurant doesn’t have to be specific, it just has to sound like it fits. Thanks for the comment and have a look at some interesting business names that will work for a restaurant and let us know what you think.