Whether you’ve finally made the decision to open your first dream restaurant or are working on expanding your restaurant ownership career, choosing a restaurant concept is one of – if not the most – important part of cultivating a solid foundation. The concept that you decide on will be your starting point in creating an engaging, welcoming, and sophisticated space that will stay in your customer’s minds.
If you’re venturing into the restaurant industry and need some assistance in how to design a branding concept that will engage your future customers, use the following tips and tricks to guide you through the restaurant concept design process.
Why Does Your Restaurant Need a Design Concept?
Often, the design concept that your restaurant chooses can have a great impact on the overall essence and message that your restaurant portrays. This undefined messaging is what tugs at a customer’s heartstrings and determines how they feel while dining in your establishment.
When choosing your restaurant concept, there are a variety of considerations to be made carefully, including the type of food that you’ll focus on serving, the ambiance you would like to present to customers, and your prices. Even the name that you choose for your restaurant goes a long way in presenting your concept to potential customers.
Varying characteristics of your restaurant should weave together to form a cohesive story to that interests – and maybe even inspires – your target clientele.
Consider the Type of Cuisine You Want to Offer
The most important part of a restaurant is obviously the type of food that you serve. Food style often defines the other design concepts of your restaurant, including the environment, theme, and price point of the cuisine you serve. If you’re open to different restaurant concepts or undecided on how you want to present your restaurant, nailing down the type of cuisine you specialize in will help you determine the other key facets of your concept.
How Much Will You Charge for Your Cuisine?
Deciding on your restaurant’s pricing guide and menu is integral in defining your concept. If you’re interested in creating a fine dining environment, it is likely that you’ll have to have a higher price point than a restaurant that chooses a more casual concept.
Decide on Your Restaurant Name
Your restaurant’s name will have a big impact on your future customer’s perception of your business, the type of food you serve, and what they can expect during a dining experience with you. Some restaurant owners choose to name their establishment to showcase the type of food they serve, while others try to create an aura of mystery or hidden meaning in their name. Whatever name you decide, ensure that it carries some significance and that the design concepts of your restaurant reflect your choice.
When cultivated well, your restaurant’s concept can be integrated into your menu, name, and interior design. If you’re amid a restaurant rebrand or new development, contact us for help with your restaurant concept and design process.