The Name Game - Why Your Restaurant's Name is So Important

In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare wrote "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." While that my be true of roses, is it also true when naming your restaurant? Or is Alan Swann, played by Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year, more accurate when he said "A rose by any other name would wither and die"?

While your restaurants name might not make or break the business, having the right name can be a big influence on your success, especially in the early stages. The name you choose is truly the first impression people have of your restaurant. If your business is new to the area, and people don't know anything about you, they will make a decision based on your restaurants name.

Choosing the Right Name

So how do you choose the right name? While there are many different opinions on how to come up with the right name, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

First, your name should be a reflection of who you are and what you do. Your customers should be able to get an idea of what to expect when they walk through your doors. For example, you wouldn't want to call your upscale restaurant "Joe's Bar and Grill", or call it "Ocean Breeze" and not have any seafood on the menu. Certain names conjure up images. You want those images to lead your customer base through the door.

You want your name to be easy to remember. Make it as easy as possible for your customers to be able to tell their friends and family about the great new place they found. Even if they can't remember exactly where you're located, if they remember the name, they can always look you up in the phone book. Your name should stick with them long after the meal has ended.

As far as how to come up with the right name, that's largely a matter of personal preference. Some people want to include their own name as part of the restaurant name. Others may use the location of the restaurant, or even something that reflects the history of the area or building.

Lettuce Entertain You, Inc., A Chicago based restaurant company with 31 different restaurant concepts relies on puns, trendy sounding names, and inside jokes to come up with the names of their restaurants. Among the many names for their restaurants are: Café Ba-Ba Reeba, Wow Bao, Tru, Mity Nice Grill, and R. J. Grunts (R. J. taken from the first initials of the owners, and Grunts because the wife of one of the owners supposedly grunts when she eats). For Lettuce Entertain You, quirky names work.

One thing to remember when going with trendy names: trends change. The hot names today may be meaningless in 5 years. Back in 1999 a lot of business included "Y2K" in their name. Seven years later Y2K no longer has the impact it once did. Try to make sure your restaurant name will stand the test of time.

One way to test your ideas is to tell family and friends the name, and have them tell you what image comes to mind. If they heard that name, what would they expect when they walked through the front door? Try to have them visualize everything from mood to menu items to what the servers are wearing. The more details they can give you, the better ideal you will have about the effectiveness of the name. Do this with several names, and get rid of the ones that conjure up the wrong image.

Research Your Restaurant Name

Before you fall in love with the name you've chosen, and rush out to print up menus and advertisements, you need to do a little research. There's a chance you won't get to use any of the ones you really like. Before you go any further you need to do some research to make sure the name isn't already registered by someone else. Bypassing this step could mean fines for copyright infringement, and having to spend the time and money to have your restaurants name changed.

You can start your research on your own by looking in the phone book, and by doing a quick search online. Your next step is to contact your states Secretary of State office and ask them how to check for registered names. Also, check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office . They keep a listing of any federally registered trademarks. There are also some professional search organizations that specialize in doing research on company names.

If the name you've decided on is available, register it with the Secretary of States office. If you are going to use a logo or trademark, you can register it with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office. Once your trademark is registered, it stays registered to you as long as you file a renewal every 10 years.

A good restaurant name can be like a magnet attracting customers, and sets the mood for what they can expect when they walk through your doors. Do your research and make sure it's the right name for you.