By Jennifer Hahn Masterson, Contributor
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as an owner of a small, local neighborhood restaurant is being humble. Just because someone runs a small scale operation or operates in a small market, it doesn’t mean that you can’t think big.
In fact, you have many reasons to think big. Let’s face it - if you don’t play it like your establishment is the greatest thing since chocolate chip cookies, chances are none of your customers will think that either.
Many small business owners tend to think that branding is a game reserved for the big boys, something that can’t be properly executed without means that are simply out of their reach. In reality, branding is just as important for small restaurants as it is for chains on a major scale - if not more so. With this in mind, here are several steps you need to take to build a strong, unique brand for your restaurant business.
Understanding the Importance of Restaurant Branding
Quality branding is not all about spending bags of money. Sure, you will have to spend some, but it has more to do about putting thought into every aspect of your business and conveying a strong message that reflects the desired values of your business.
According to a current master's degree in visual design and communication, the flows of information needed for impactful branding rely on the premises that each sign is followed by a reaction, and each step forward should results in a trade or exchange.
Through effective branding you can carve out your place in the market and firmly establish your restaurant with a clear identity that makes you stand out among your competitors.
Pinpointing Your Restaurant’s Niche
Some restaurateurs think that simply picking a type of cuisine is all the niching they need to do, but there are many other aspects to picking a niche. Think about the type of clientele you’re aiming for and the values your business wishes to represent. Are you catering to families, or to the young, or to business people? Do you want your restaurant to be considered modern, or homely, upscale or affordable?
Ask yourself all these questions and many more, and then formulate an identity. Every aspect of your business needs to reflect that identity, from your menu, to the restaurant’s interior, employee uniforms, music - the whole shebang.
The bottom line is, you can control the way customers perceive you, but if you don’t make a concentrated effort to be perceived in a certain way it will all be up to random chance. Serving quality food will make your customers happy, but giving them a unique, complete experience will win them over and separate you from the pack.
Being Consistent
Once you choose a path, stick to it. The starting point to any quality branding is crafting a striking logo, or a smart, catchy slogan. Once you have that, make sure that all the other details follow the general idea, from the color scheme of your interiors to the uniforms. The worst thing you can do is trying to appeal to everyone. What you want to do is give people a specific reason to come to you, and not somewhere else. Therefore, settle on a plan and then stay the course.
Leaving Your Stamp
The path to building a recognizable brand leads through repetition. You need to keep your logo in people’s faces as much as you can. First off, it needs to feature prominently in your own establishment. After that, you need to get it out in the open.
Even if you don’t have money for things like billboards and TV commercials, there are still plenty of things you can do: handing out or mailing flyers, sending e-mails, and being active on social networks. These activities are informational (offers, discounts, special packages, etc.), but they also keep your brand in the public consciousness.
Depending on the path you choose, there are other things you can do to spread your brand around - you can print shirts and other promotional items, or maybe customize the labels on drink bottles and have your logo on glasses. These are simply suggestions, and you’re free to come up with your own out of the box ideas.
Entrenching Your Restaurant’s Brand
The best way to solidify your brand, especially in a smaller community, is to align yourself with certain values your community holds dear. Support a social or a charitable cause, sponsor a local sports team, cooperate with other respectable businesses and establish yourself as a pillar of the community and your business as a respectable operation that cares about its customers and the community as a whole.
Doing What Your Restaurant Does Best
This should go without saying, but you should never lose sight of your basic purpose as a restaurateur. The quality of your product and your services should be your primary objectives. Businesses can sometimes get so caught up in other aspects of their operations that they neglect their main obligations. Hold yourself and your employees to the highest of standards, and do your best to have your customers leave with a smile on their faces. Their word of mouth promotion carries great weight, and provides you with the type of advertising no money can buy.
About the Author:
Jennifer Hahn Masterson is the Lead Content Strategist at Spread the Word Solutions, holding an MA degree in business communication. She is always doing her best to help her clients find their place in the ever so competitive business arena, insisting on long-term sustainability rather than on some questionable get-rich-fast scheme. You can check her out on LinkedIn.
