Choosing a good restaurant name?

Deciding on a restaurant name is as imperative as deciding what variety of food you are going to serve. A good restaurant name is easy to memorize and easy to spell. It may perhaps be a sign of your restaurant's theme, its location or simply be a play on words. The main thing to be concerned about when choosing a restaurant name is the impression it will leave on your clients.

Naming a Restaurant After a Location

Frequently naming a restaurant is straightforward. The restaurant owners take a cue from their restaurant's location. The French Laundry, in Napa Valley, California is one of the countries most venerated restaurants. Its name stems from the fact the restaurant building once housed a French steam laundry during the 19th century.

Reflecting a Theme in a Restaurant Name

Selecting a restaurant name can additionally come from a theme or menu. Chinese restaurants do this perfectly, with names like The Pagoda, Oriental Palace, and The Golden Wok. Each one of these restaurant names let clients know that they serve Chinese food. Avoid confusing your potential customers by calling your restaurant an ethnic name if you are serving a different type of menu. For example, if you are serving authentic Mexican food, calling the restaurant Antonio's will confuse your patrons, who may think you serve Italian food.

Adding a Personal Meaning to a Restaurant Name

Starting a restaurant is similar to having another child in many ways. Occasionally a restaurants name is a reflection of the owner's name or someone dear to them. Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, called his restaurant idea after his daughter. Possibly your grandmother influenced your joy of cooking, so you might name your restaurant after her. What ever the meaning behind your restaurant's name, be prepared to reveal it to the public, who enjoy a decent story.

Restaurant Name With a Play On Words

One women's 1st restaurant business was called The Bag Lady, since she and her sons went around delivering bagged lunches to regional businesses. This is a great illustration of playing with words. Fun restaurant names that have zilch to do with food are as a rule simple to remember, and pass on by word of mouth. Famous chef Wolfgang Puck called his earliest restaurant Spago, (Italian slang for spaghetti.) Little in the name would tell you that it serves a fusion of Mediterranean and California cuisine, with a specialty in wood-fired pizzas. It is just a good restaurant name.

Avoid Trademarked Restaurant Names

If your last name happens to be McDonalds, don't call your restaurant that! You are just asking for a law suit. It may seem like a harmless gesture to name a restaurant something similar to an already well-known chain, but you will be asking for potential legal troubles. Do you remember the McDowell's restaurant from the film "Coming to America"? The logos and typeface are extremely alike, including the names of the dishes: the "Big Mac" becomes the "Big Mick" - containing "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds." McDowell, in describing the differences between his location and McDonald's, explains, "They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs."

Have you chosen a good restaurant name for your restaurant business?