The Do’s and Don’ts of Rebranding Your Restaurant

From attracting new diners to closely meeting the ever-changing needs of loyal customers, rebranding your restaurant can be an effective way to increase sales. Thinking about trying it out? Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help you along the way.

Do:

Consult your front- and back-of-house staff

Your restaurant staff gets the chance to interact with diners each day. Tap into the insights they’ve gathered by holding a company-wide meeting to discuss any rebranding efforts. Have they noticed an influx of new diners over the past six months? What should your restaurant be doing to meet the needs of these new diners? Posing these types of questions should help get the conversation going and provide you with a better idea of what needs to be done to achieve a successful rebranding campaign.

Ask for customer feedback

Want to know what diners think of your restaurant’s food, service and décor? Consider attaching comment cards to each bill so that diners have the chance to share their opinion. Another option is to create a page on your website where diners can provide feedback anonymously in exchange for a discount on their next meal.

Spread the word

If you decide to go through with a rebrand, spread the word on your restaurant’s social media and other marketing channels. Not only might it grab the attention of new diners, but it could also prompt restaurant critics and social media influencers to take a second look at your restaurant.

Don’t:

Overlook the competition

Take a few moments to consider what makes nearby competitors successful. A closer look at their operations and offerings should give you a better idea of what you can do to differentiate your restaurant and grow your customer base. Is there a need competitors haven’t met? If not, look at what diners like about your competitors and figure out how to take your offerings to the next level.

Rush to rebrand

Make sure you have a clear plan in place before kicking off your rebranding efforts. Decide who is in charge of the rebrand, along with which members of your front- and back-of-house staff will need to help out. You could even craft a summary document that outlines the objective of your restaurant’s rebrand, which customers you’re targeting, what the timeframe looks like and how much budget you’ve allocated.

Forget to follow up

After launching your restaurant’s new brand, regularly check in with staff and diners to see how things are going. Ask what’s working and what could use some improvement. If there are aspects of the new brand diners want to see improved, incorporate their feedback into your restaurant’s day-to-day operations.