When you’re a small, independent restaurant,
it can be easy to feel discouraged. After all,
if there are big franchises down every block,
how can you compete?
The good news is that your restaurant’s
status as a small business isn’t a flaw — it’s
a feature.
Researchers at Pentallect Inc. are estimating
independent restaurants’ revenue will grow
about 5% in the next five years.1 Customers
want to frequent restaurants they can
trust to have a unique point of view and
place within the community. As a result,
authenticity should be a core element
to your branding and point of view as a
business.
It’s true: being a locally-owned, independent
restaurant business can actually give you an
edge in the market that other restaurants
lack — if you manage your brand correctly.
You can hone that independent edge by
following a few simple ideas in defining
your core mission and intellectual brand,
developing your visual brand identity,
keeping it consistent over time, and
maintaining that reputation in the toughest
market of all: the internet...