Restaurant trends are moving faster than many chains can even comprehend. From when the first fast food hamburger chain emerged in 1921, to modern times, restaurants are constantly transforming their brand to stay ahead of the competition. Creating a restaurant from scratch and watching it turn into a trusted brand is an emotional journey for any restaurateur. With the changing market, technology, and mindset of people when it comes to dining out, re-branding is the answer to continued growth. A refresh of your restaurant ultimately lets your customers know that you are keeping up with current trends and customer demands. Here is a list of our top 4 recommendations on how and what to focus on when refreshing your existing restaurant brand.
Our Top 4 Recommendations
- Restaurant Color Palettes & Logo Re-Branding
When refreshing your brand, it is not just the aesthetics that should be considered when deciding on the ambiance and colors of a restaurant’s interior. Interior colors can impact the psychology of customers, making them subconsciously react in many ways from affecting the food choices they make to the amount of money they spend. Research shows that using warmer color tones at the entrance of a restaurant makes customers feel that the temperature is a couple of degrees higher than usual and vice versa. If you have a small restaurant space, painting your interior walls with bright colors will help you make your restaurant feel larger. Light colors such as white, beige, and grey have been proven to evoke a relaxed feel among customers making them feel welcomed. On the other hand, colors such as blue and purple tend to decrease the appetite of customers as there are not many naturally occurring blue or purple food items. As far as the exterior of your restaurant, color choices should be on the darker side with colors such as navy blue to as this can be eye-catching to consumers.
The best brands keep up with current times and changes in the market, especially when competition enters your market. Many well-known brands have done various “fresh looking” re-branding to their logos in order to appeal to the demographic they service. For instance, iconic chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, and Subway have all gone through this logo transformation over the years to stay current. Whether changing their logo colors or creating a completely different design, it is all encompassed under re-branding.
2. Incorporating Various Lighting
Restaurant lighting is an important element of your restaurant’s overall design. Incorporating more light will give your restaurant a bright and welcoming atmosphere. This can include mood lighting utilizing dimmable LED lighting, recessed lights, and pendant lighting. A great example is bare-bulb industrial pendant style lights, which work well to reinforce a restaurant’s stripped-down approach to upscale fare, while the draped strands of string lights create a dreamy feel to a romantic bistro. Research is also showing that lighting influences what we decide to eat at restaurants. When refreshing your existing restaurant, think about incorporating more light throughout the space with natural light or skylights as this will create a more modern feel and consumers tend to think more strategically about what they order resulting in healthier decision making.
3. Utilize Material Selections
Incorporating material selections such as reclaimed wood creates a unique and updated look to your restaurant. Salvaged wood that is made into a reclaimed wood look is still suitable for use; some sturdier pieces of wood are even strong enough to act as structural supports for building Reclaimed wood can showcase a positive image for restaurants looking to make an environmental statement in refreshing their space and show their commitment to Eco-friendly practices.
Even your restaurant’s curb appeal is something to consider when it comes to material selection. Your restaurant’s curb appeal can have a major influence on its overall success. In fact, a local study found that 70% of first-time sales were based on curb appeal. Moreover, research has shown that customers are willing to pay more for their meals if they like a restaurant’s atmosphere along with the initial exterior design. This is where adding greenery to the exterior and interior will positively influence people’s moods and therefore attract more customers to your restaurant.
4. Partner with Local Delivery Services & Reconfigure as Modern Take Out
In today’s instant gratification-based society, delivery has become ever so popular. Consider partnering with popular delivery services such as PostMates, GrubHub, or UberEats. Especially with the current COVID-19 Pandemic, this is a great alternative to “dining out”. Allowing customers to order food in a safe way where they can have it delivered right to their door!
Lastly, re-configuring your restaurant given the current Pandemic is crucial. This can include modifying the interior layout to allow for a designated take-out or To-Go area. This area should include a separate take-out or To-Go dedicated POS system and have a designated space or shelving for food warmers. This dedicated area will aide in efficiencies for customers picking to-go orders.
Similarly, think about incorporating and offering curb-side delivery and having a designated area or pathway outside to show your customers where to pick up their food in a safe manner. Ensuring there are cones, clear signage, and even flags to let your customers know where to go and pick up their food is crucial. Then, the restaurant can incorporate a separate take-out POS system, have a designated space for food warmers, in order to ensure safety and efficiency while picking up customers to-go orders.
Why SCGWest is The Expert
With the new trends in the restaurant world, SCGWest is your one stop shop to refresh your existing restaurant brand. We are here for your refresh or re-branding needs and will guide you through our well-defined building program and design process to execute your project efficiently.
