Check out These Tips When It's Time to Rebrand Your Restaurant

Rebranding your restaurant can be an exciting yet scary process. You’re working to improve your brand and create a new vibe for your restaurant, but you’re venturing into a new area where there’s no guarantee that your restaurant is going to thrive under the rebranding. This can be new territory for your business, and you may find that just jumping right in could cause some hiccups along the way. The best thing that you can do when thinking it’s time to rebrand is to follow these tips to help you create a smooth process.

Consult Your Staff

One of the first things that you should do when going about rebranding your restaurant is to consult with your staff. They can have great ideas about the rebranding that will be beneficial to think about when going through this process. They may be able to point out strengths and weaknesses in the rebranding process. This open communication can also work to keep them comfortable and in the loop with the process. People often fear the unknown, especially when they worry if they will still have a job after these changes have taken place, so this helps to let them know that they are a valuable part of the business.

Customer Feedback

Your customers can also be a great sounding board for getting feedback on a restaurant rebranding. There are reasons as to why your customers visit your restaurant. They may not be visiting as often as they used to for one reason or another, and getting this feedback in this part of the process will help you correct the issue that is keeping them away for the rebranding. You may also find out what things about your restaurant keeps them coming back, and you’ll know what to keep with your rebranding.

Scope Out the Competition

It’s not corporate espionage to see what your local competition is doing at their restaurants to get guests in the door. Go out for dinner at some of the restaurants that are similar to your current style or even ones that more closely resemble what your future rebranded restaurant will be like, and see what they are doing during your visit. You won’t get to peek into the inner workings of the restaurant, but your trained eye will be able to pick up on things you want to avoid and those you want to include. You’ll also want to keep an eye on how your competition handles their social media and marketing. Sign up for their email newsletters and check out their Facebook page.

Social Media Marketing

You’ll also want to start considering the move on your social media. You’ll want to market your rebranding. Keep your followers up to date on the process, and what they can expect from the new restaurant brand you’re creating. You can even keep them in the loop in the process and seek their feedback through social media as we’ve already discussed how important your guest feedback can be for your restaurant. Make it fun. Create contests or quizzes where they can give their opinions on what should be added to the rebranding. Offer up a prize like a free dessert to the best answer or a random drawing. This will keep everyone engaged and interested in the rebranding process.

Website

Don’t forget your website. All too often, some business owners will create a static website to create a web presence for their business, but they never update it, or they only update it every few years. Keep your website new and fresh to get more attention to your business. A rebranding is the perfect time to kick your website into overdrive with updates. You want people to know all about your restaurant before they visit as some guests like to know menu prices, ambiance, and other information in advance. Let your web presence reflect your real life presence.

Take Your Time

You don’t have to rush your rebranding. Take the time to really think everything through before you start making changes. Your rebranding will only be as successful as you make it, and it’s good to do your homework before implementing a huge amount of changes. This doesn’t mean that you should use it as an excuse to procrastinate, but that you should evaluate all of your options by going through these tips thoroughly to not miss anything. Also, remember that there’s nothing that says that you can tweak the changes you’ve made with your rebranding to better fit your needs.

Rebranding can be exactly what your restaurant needs to revitalize it. Change can be great when you go through a planning process that looks at the rebranding from every angle to keep all of the stakeholders happy. Your employees and your guests, current and future, should be taken into consideration for this process. You’ll also want to check out your competition, too.  Then, let everyone know about the rebranding through your marketing and website efforts. Contact us today and see how we can help you with your rebranding.