In-store branding can do wonders for your restaurant

Hey, what’s cooking?- In your mind! Well, In-store branding can do wonders for your restaurant and we don’t have to do much with your kitchen, that’s not our forte, but what we can help you with is your marketing and branding strategies. First and foremost it’s important to understand that there is a fine line between marketing and branding of your restaurant and how to do In-store branding for restaurant. Marketing campaigns are strategic and are run over a specific period of time. whereas branding is a persistent effort of instilling your customer’s mind with your brand image and values.

With the changing times, a major chunk of restaurant owners is switching to a direct way of taking orders. Moreover, they are marketing their store online on Instagram, Facebook, or Google search results page via google ad-word campaigns. While they have leveled up their restaurant marketing strategies by unleashing the limitless potential of their restaurant business, they are lagging behind in doing their offline branding.

When you hear of offline branding or marketing, you must be wondering that it’s going to cost an arm and a leg? We know that for hoardings or public display ad spaces one has to pay through the nose. So, worry not, we have found ways in which you don’t have to empty your pockets…

Now you can do your offline branding without spending a penny! You must have heard of in-store or interior branding because if you haven’t you need to explore the true potential of building your restaurant’s brand. Branding is indeed a magical phenomenon that makes your customer connect with you and become loyal to your restaurant. But before stepping into how & what to do we will address some of the obvious questions that you would have in your mind.

Why is in-store branding a trump card for your brand?

People remember only 10% of the things that they hear, 20% of what they read, and about 80% of what they see. Hence it’s clear that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. Therefore, your branding should consist of a major chunk of visuals like enticing posters, catchy taglines, and visually popping banners. Additionally, always try to add emotion or humor to your visuals because that will let your customer connect with your brand easily.

How can in-store branding make customers shift from platform?

As a restaurant owner, you must have got a rented place? Why not think of utilizing it to the max? While flex boards and billboard advertising spaces cost a lot, using your restaurant as your own personal branding space would cost you a dime a dozen.

Start introducing your customers to the exclusive concept of ordering directly from your online ordering platform for In-store branding for restaurant. This way you could surprisingly drive your Swiggy and Zomato leads to your own online ordering platform.

Elements or things that can be used for in-store branding

• Your brand’s logo

• Your brand’s colors and font styles

• Images

• Standees posters 

• Disposable paper tray mat 

• Interior décor of your restaurant

• Staff uniforms

• Your menu

• Pamphlets

• In-store music/playlist

• Your outdoor greenery

• Your parking lot and your lighting

• Roll out discount offers and get them printed on your restaurant ad boards, standees, or walls 

• Lighting

• Interior decor

• Servingware and other tabletop details

• Color scheme

• Music

• Server clothing

• Server composure

• Menu design

• Donate the leftover food
• CSR campaigns

Here are a few brands that have mastered the art of building an authentic brand image.

Blue Tokai Coffee roasters 

Blue Tokai coffee is a coffee roasting company that has exponentially expanded itself by installing several branches across the country. Their unique selling proposition is that they believe in transparency and keeping the customer as their first priority. They have set up their cafes in tier 1 cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

How they promote their brand by In-store branding 

• Consistent use of colors and tones

They have maintained the consistency for the interior branding of their stores by sticking to the turquoise blue color that matches the logo. Moreover, the outlets are installed in peaceful and posh areas where people can sit and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere.

Blue Tokai restaurant Interior resonates with their brand elements

• Efficiently utilizing in-store space for branding 

“Bringing new ideas to the table and brainstorming with your team will open a plethora of doors to new opportunities.”

Blue Tokai has indeed made a smart move by placing its logo on a toughened glass. This not only increases their outlet visibility but also helps them save space and money. In the end, this logo is going to keep doing its work until it wears down through the years.

Wondering how is it useful to your outlet? In a world where third-party food delivery apps are ruling the F&B industry, try to promote your brand as an independent entity just like Blue Tokai coffee roasters is doing. Furthermore, Encourage your customers to directly order from your online ordering platform.  This way you will be setting your restaurant free from paying hefty commission, additionally, you will gain a loyal customer base.

Printed logo on toughened glass

Mc Donald’s

Over the years McDonald’s has become every Indian kids’ desire.

But how did McDonald’s do this? Perhaps they didn’t & Ronald McDonald or other similar characters did this. If you have ever noticed, in a McDonald’s outlet kids are pushing their parents to make purchases like Happy meals coke floats, Mcflurry, etc. But is it that easy to make people buy stuff through branding?

Yes, it’s a little tricky but not impossible. If you also want to trigger such purchases you need to understand your buyers’ personas and decide on your store’s branding based on your target audience.

Functional and clean store layout

What did McDonald’s do authentically in designing their store’s interior?

• Placed visually popping and eye-catching toys on store shelves.
• Placed the primary mascot outside the stores.

• Continuously promotes happy meals to trigger purchases

• Doesn’t put a price on most of their posters.

Pista House 

Pista House is a fine-dining restaurant synonymous with Hyderabadi Haleem. In fact, it is the world’s largest Haleem seller with outlets spread across North America, Gulf, South East Asia & Europe.  They have efficiently set their brand image by consistently using the green color, that reflects the color of a pista.

Maintaining the color scheme and the brand aesthetics over the years many sought-after brands like Pista House have instilled their brand values in the minds of their customers. In fact, this clearly shows that the power of interior or in-store branding for restaurant is limitless. And you can control your customer purchase by being as creative as you can.

So what are you waiting for? Start utilizing your restaurant space for inculcating your brand values in your customers and encourage them to make a switch from Zomato-Swiggy to your independent online ordering platform. It’s indeed a great way to grab your customer’s attention when they are physically present at your store. Grab this opportunity and place standees, banners, or posters for promoting direct orders. Moreover, shower them with lucrative deals & see what wonders in-store branding can do to your restaurant business.

In conclusion, We hope this guide to in-store branding was helpful enough to help you find ways in which you could encourage your customers to order directly from your online ordering platform. In other words, keep implementing and improvising quirky ideas to make your store vibrant & interactive. We have always got your back in helping your restaurant grow, hope you would do your in-store branding the right way…