Choosing your restaurant style

How will you style your new eatery? Your brand image is important to attract the customers who will most enjoy and keep returning to your establishment. Here are some styles of eatery to consider:

  1. Wine Bar: Wine bars generally only serve only wine and cheese or charcuterie platters.
  2. Brasserie: Brasseries are a blend between a bistro and a pub. They are along the lines of the brew-pubs operated by many craft breweries with an artisan culture.
  3. Bistro: Bistros offer faster service than a full service fine dining restaurant but offer upscale, trendy and fusion style cuisine, as well as home-style cooking.
  4. Tavern: Taverns are much like bars but tend to have a bit more expansive food menu. They often have music, dancing and games such as pool and darts.
  5. Restaurant
  6. Café: Cafes are places where people go for coffee and a small bite. The menu options are limited to sandwiches, salads and snack platters.
  7. Pizzeria: Pizzerias feature pizza, wings, and sometimes pasta offerings.
  8. Deli: Delis (delicatessens) feature food that is quickly prepared such as cold cuts, sandwiches, salads and similar fare.
  9. Diner: Diners feature items cooked primarily by fryers and skillets. Typical menu offerings include burger, fries and breakfast items.
  10. Grille: Grills feature grilled, smoked and barbequed entrees
  11. Steakhouse or Chophouse
  12. Night Club: A night club focuses on music and dance along with drinking. These are places where people focus on a fun night out or dating.
  13. Pub: Pubs focus more on beer than liquor and cocktails. The food selections are better than a bar. Full meals are offered as opposed to the snack offerings at a typical bar. There is generally no loud obtrusive music.
  14. Lounge: A lounge is a trendy, quiet place to have a drink, conversation and relax. The music is generally soft, soothing and relaxing. A small snack or appetizer menu is generally offered.
  15. Bars focus on drinking and the food options are snack and appetizer offerings. Bars tend to have loud music, dance floors, DJ’s and are place where people stop in for short periods at each visit. These typically cater to certain “crowds” and focus on “regulars” who develop a local “community” at the establishment.
  16. Chophouses are full scale restaurants that feature pork, lamb and beef entrees.
  17. Steakhouses are full scale restaurants that feature beef specialty entrees, often with a complimentary seafood menu.

Before you start construction, you will want to be sure your design concept is clear to use without infringing on the trade dress of another eatery. If you think expanding to additional locations is in your future, it would be a worth considering the trademark protection options for your proprietary branding elements of design concept.