One of the major mistakes that new restaurants make (any any new business, for that matter) before their launch is the lack of branding and design and even before their launch is that they don’t take time to carefully think about what their brand is and worse yet, because they don’t know how to articulate it, the brand ends up being controlled by the consumer instead of the actual business. Instead of hoping your food sells itself, or letting the brand become controlled by the customer

In addition to providing delicious food, your restaurant should prioritize delivering a branded experience. aren’t in the business of providing food. They’re in the business of providing a branded experience. Eating is an experience of the senses. Customer service with a smile should be part of every restaurant’s brand experience. But how do you exactly know what your brand should be, and why is it so important?

A brand tells customers what a restaurant is all about. It sets the restaurant apart from its competitors and creates a corporate personality. When done well, a brand gives visual and emotional cues to potential customers. A strong restaurant brand extends across all parts of the business, from the interior design to the marketing materials. Developing a brand and using it to his advantage can give a restaurant owner a competitive edge.

A brand is more than a logo: it encompasses the overall experience of dining at the restaurant. It starts with a core idea that motivates the business, like serving gourmet comfort food or providing a new ethnic food experience. The core idea becomes the public brand promise, which is communicated to customers through marketing and advertising. The visual aspects of a brand support the brand promise through the logo, colors, fonts and image styles.

Because restaurant dining is a sensory experience, the brand must involve a range of elements that affect the customer. A successful restaurant brand is evident in everything a customer interacts with, from advertisements to the way food is presented. The visual aspects and copy style are applied to marketing materials like the website, menu, take-out boxes, advertisements and business cards. To make the brand even stronger, apply the same visual style in those materials to the interior decor and employee uniforms. A restaurant that has a "fine dining with a twist" brand might dress their servers in formal uniforms and provide colorful plating designs.

The brand development process usually starts before the business opens. The initial definition and design evolves over time in response to new foods, styles or clientele. The owner of an existing restaurant can update the brand to focus on the things customers love most, like foods that have emerged as menu superstars. Successful brand development is a continual process as the owner find new ways to bring the essence of the brand into all aspects of the business.