One of the most popular entrepreneurial ventures in a big city is opening a café or restaurant. However, staying in demand and maintaining relevance is achieved by few. The foundation of success lies in a well-developed concept for the restaurant or café design project that can be implemented within the city’s specified budget. The audience’s attention is drawn to a unique signature style reflected in every detail—not just in the interior design but also in the lighting, stylish tableware, music, and even guest interactions.
However, creating a café project to please everyone is a recipe for failure. In the restaurant business, as in any other segment, it is crucial to identify the target consumer and focus solely on them. Understanding who you are working for allows you to always seek their opinion and understand their needs, which you can then meet. Without determining the audience, no amount of marketing can save you. Ideally, during the development stage, a restaurant or café project is created for a specific customer. This helps set the direction of development and the level of future services from the outset.
Most Effective Marketing Tools
Experienced restaurateurs, when developing a strategy to promote a new café, rely on no more than 5-6 marketing tools. Often, this set duplicates a similar set used by the nearest competitor. However, not all recommendations are suitable for every type of restaurant or café, especially for establishments in the highest category. Before assessing effectiveness, it is essential to track customer reactions and only then make a final decision on whether to apply or reject them. The most effective tools in restaurant marketing include:
Facade and Adjacent Area Design
Once you have defined the concept and positioning, it’s necessary to commission an exterior design project in the corresponding style. However, when designing the facade sign, external advertising, or any constructions, it’s crucial to consider the legislative framework. Every city has its own regulations regarding signage.
Entrance Group Design
In developing the facade design, it’s essential to consider the principles of positioning in the foodservice industry. Visitors should unmistakably recognize whether they are in a snack bar, restaurant, or café. For instance, if the business specializes in pastries, and the target audience is families with children, the entrance group should be adorned with pleasant, soft colors associated with baked goods, and a gingerbread man figure should be placed at the entrance. Images of candies or pastries can be displayed on the facade.
Outdoor Advertising and Signage
The signage is another point of contact between the establishment and the customer. The same design techniques used in the facade design can be applied to the signage. It’s not enough to have just the name of the establishment on the sign. Words indicating the type of business—such as “café” or “snack bar”—remove any doubts for those who may not grasp the designer’s concept, significantly increasing visitor flow.
Shop Window
The café or restaurant window is an effective tool for creating an impression of the goods or services offered by the establishment. The main task is to make it as attractive as possible for potential customers. Creative solutions, such as three-dimensional structures with original lighting, are particularly interesting.
A-Frame Sign
This term refers to a compact portable installation placed in close proximity to the advertising object. Often, an A-frame sign is a board on which the menu items are listed by hand. Sometimes, humorous inscriptions are used that are more likely to amuse passersby than attract them to the establishment. Such advertising media are best used for specific information, such as a daily special. The inscription “The most delicious ice cream” will attract far fewer visitors than “Three scoops of ice cream for the price of two!”
Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and the effectiveness of marketing tools may vary depending on the type of establishment and its target audience. Regularly monitoring customer reactions and being flexible in applying marketing methods will contribute to successful restaurant business management.
Printed Materials
Colorful leaflets can serve a restaurant well as part of an advertising campaign or informing customers about ongoing promotions. Flyers can invite customers to happy hours or offer discounts on products. However, caution should be exercised with such advertising material. Firstly, many people don’t like being handed things. Secondly, some visitors immediately discard flyers, contributing to environmental pollution. Thirdly, after purchasing a discounted product during a promotion, customers may be unwilling to pay the full price later.
A good alternative to flyers could be offering a gift with the purchase of a specific product or set when presenting the flyer. For example, buying two cups of coffee could come with complimentary branded cookies.
Integrated Projects for Cafes and Restaurants
A well-thought-out corporate style and its presentation create certain expectations in customers. Every restaurant and cafe must meet these expectations. Their products and even the ambiance should align with the ideals underlying their positioning concept.
The brand’s image and mood are the feelings and emotions it evokes in visitors on a subconscious level. The brand concept should be built based on this.
Target Audience
Why is it important to define your audience? Visitors are the reason the HoReCa business exists. The alignment of cafe design, interior, dish presentation, and menu with guest preferences and moods is the key to the success of the establishment. If customers feel comfortable, they will undoubtedly return.
Establishment Name
The design style, like the name, should reflect the brand’s core values. The first thing any visitor notices is the establishment’s name. It should be concise, expressive, and short – maximum three words. When choosing a name, consider the target audience and how the brand positions itself. A unique, easily memorable name will leave a lasting impression and be associated with your establishment. Staff uniforms, signage, and other elements of corporate style should support the brand idea and reveal details of the establishment’s concept.
Personal Brand
The era of standard solutions has passed. A quality but impersonal product is no longer as interesting as something created by the hands of a well-known person. Having a renowned creative director or popular chef is invaluable for a restaurant. Customer trust is often gained through the owner’s name. Therefore, a personal brand largely determines the success of any enterprise, not just a restaurant or cafe.
Social Media
Today, people obtain a significant amount of information about the world from social media. These platforms can be an excellent advertising space where customers can be attracted with photos of the cafe interior or appetizing dishes.
Cafe or Restaurant Interior Design
The ambiance and interior design of a cafe can create or destroy the desired mood. Therefore, the decoration of the premises requires attention to every detail. Furniture, lighting, wall decorations, and other compositional solutions must correspond to the chosen style and concept of the cafe. Remember that the restaurant’s decor and other design elements can be periodically updated or replaced, especially concerning interior textiles and compositions of colors and plants.
Atmosphere
The concept largely determines the atmosphere of an establishment. If a children’s cafe should exude an atmosphere of carefree celebration, a rock cafe should evoke a sense of energetic drive. Many factors influence the creation of the necessary atmosphere. Soft music and subdued lighting will create an atmosphere of intimacy and seclusion, while bright lighting and lush decor will set the tone for celebration and solemnity. Scents and the menu play a significant role in how a restaurant or cafe is perceived. The aroma of homemade baking creates a friendly mood, while the refined, noble scent of perfume recalls an atmosphere of luxury. The taste of dishes, their presentation, and even the phrases spoken by the waiter also help shape the brand positioning of the foodservice establishment.
Cafe Menu
The appearance and content of the menu are integral parts of the overall concept of any dining establishment. The menu is designed according to the overall stylistic direction: strict and restrained in respectable restaurants, vibrant and utilizing graphic symbols in creative themed bars. A general requirement is the absence of messy traces of menu usage and convenient categorization of dishes. The menu’s content should also align with the overall concept, brand image, and even the interior. Menu planning and table setting are premeditated. It is impermissible to forget to serve knives with steaks or a bucket of ice with champagne.
Tone of Voice (TOV)
The brand’s voice is the brand’s manner of communication with the customers it wants to attract. It is as much a part of the concept as the logo, name, design, and uniform. Communication between visitors and staff must fully correspond to the defined tone of voice. For example, jokes and a more relaxed communication style with customers are acceptable in a rock cafe. In a sophisticated and expensive restaurant, the waiter will remain restrained and serious in any situation and will not allow familiarity in conversation. It’s essential to understand that service standards are not rigid. Any modern consumer brand needs to monitor and incorporate modern communication methods.
Details
If you want to open not just a cafe but something extraordinary and unique, pay close attention to details. Unusual tablecloths, custom-made tableware, or distinctive lamps on tables can emphasize the overall style of the establishment. Original decor made to order can help reflect the unique positioning features of the cafe or restaurant. While waiting for dishes, customers will have enough time to appreciate every detail of the interior. Special effects are gained from those details with which guests can interact, such as old magazines or collections of unusual items displayed on shelves.
Own Merchandise
Any establishment that has become well-known has a line of products with its own branding. Branded clothing or accessories not only help maintain a connection between the customer and the beloved establishment but also elevate the establishment to a new level. For this, the merchandise design must be creative, functional, and applicable to daily life. Standard solutions include bags, stationery items, and branded logo dishes. However, the appearance and purpose of merchandise are not limited. You can always show creativity and surprise visitors.
Cafe Brand Book
The culmination of a comprehensive project, where all necessary carriers of the corporate style and the interior of the establishment are created, is the development of a guide or cafe brand book. Instructions for using the corporate style will be needed when dealing with a printing house or other contractors. In the prospects of creating a franchise for a bar, restaurant, or fast-food cafe, a brand book is also indispensable. It systematizes visual constants and helps avoid mistakes in branding, significantly saving costs when opening new network points.
