When it comes to the food business, customers eat with their eyes first. So shouldn’t you make good design a priority? Here’s how you can get the best restaurant design template for your brand.
There’s a lot of stress involved with running a restaurant. But it’s important you don’t forget where that special passion for food comes from. Make a mark with your brand story, and you’ll be able to reach more people with food.
This graphic design checklist is your must-have guide to getting started with your brand identity. Get the yummiest designs out and delivered to your most special guests.
Why you need this checklist
A graphic design checklist helps your marketing team become organized and aligned. It allows you to on your business, while someone else takes on the heavy design challenge. This way, you’ll be able to translate your food and design vision to life without feeling confused or overwhelmed.
- Unbottleneck designs for faster turnover
- Receive higher quality materials with fewer revisions
- Make sure everyone is on the same page
- Plan ahead campaigns with on-spot executions
The best restaurants also tell a tight-knit brand story that’s reflected in their unique and authentic brand message. Checklists aren’t only for keeping everyone aligned, it’s also an anchor to keep you focused on your goals.
Steps to prepare your checklist
Checklists can be as detailed or as simple as you want. For beginners, here are a few key elements you shouldn’t miss.
- Company brand story and guide
- Design project description and requirements
- Monthly social media campaign and content calendar
- Marketing goals and objectives
It’s rare to go through a full project cycle without a few hiccups. Even the most meticulously planned projects can encounter internal problems. But with these tools at your disposal, you’ll be able to pivot with ease and scale your projects depending on any situation.
10 Content Ideas for Restaurant Owners
Starting a restaurant is notoriously risky. There are a lot more challenges than meets the eye. For physical locations, you have to secure permits, work on construction, and curate a warm and welcoming interior environment.
If you want to outsource creative work to an agency, make sure you have a brand book ready. Doing so would lead artists to make better design decisions that are complementary to your restaurant’s look.
1. Logo and Branding
DotYeti Branding Project
DotYeti Branding Project
A well-designed logo is an essential part of creating a brand identity for your restaurant. Make sure that you really squeeze out the essence of your branding into your logo–it’s the first impression to your customers and you’ve got to make it click.
2. Menu Design
As we like to say DotYeti, good design should be accessible, easy to understand, and sparks simple joy. A beautifully designed menu can help to showcase your restaurant’s offerings in an enticing and scrumptious way. When done right, it adds another dimension to your brand story.
3. Website Design
In today’s digital age, having a website is crucial for any business. Treat this online space with as much love as your physical one. With a custom site design, you can add information, go in-depth with your menu items, let customers know about your work hours, and even have reservation and order forms integrated into your page.
4. Advertising Materials
DotYeti Advertising Material Project
Promoting your food can be tricky when you have limited resources. One way to get the word out organically is by distributing advertising and promotional materials. Whether you need flyers to promote a limited discount offer or some brochures to let people know where your restaurant is, a graphic design agency can help.
5. Packaging Design
DotYeti Packaging Project
If you offer takeout or delivery, your packaging design should be the perfect mix of form and function. If you don’t have a physical store, your packaging is the closest that customers will get to understand your restaurant’s branding. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to make your food more appealing by complementing it with a yummy design.
6. Signage Design
Just like your logo, your store sign is a primary signifier of your visual identity. Like many things today, it only takes a few seconds for people to make a decision. Make sure your restaurant sign entices customers to go in and have a meal. That’s why it’s best for professionals to get you a bright and welcoming signage design.
7. Social Media Graphics
DotYeti Social Media Project
When it comes to marketing, your social media presence plays a larger role than you think. You never know who’s going to be the next person to visit your social pages, so make sure you’re always posting content. One day, the algorithm may work in your favor and reward you with a new rush of hungry customers.
8. Event Design
If your restaurant hosts events or private parties, you can tap a design agency to create custom invitations, menus, and other materials. This isn’t a typical thing for most beginner restaurants to do, but it can serve as a unique way to drive attention to your brand.
9. Food Photography Editing
High-quality photos of your dishes can help attract customers and make them want to try your food. Food photographers are masters of their craft, often going to lengths to present food in the best possible light.
When you do want to add photography to your content mix, agencies can do some light photo editing to make sure your dishes are presented in the best possible light.
10. Email Marketing Design
Are you launching a new menu item soon? Then email marketing is your ticket to announcing it to the rest of the world. Email marketing is an effective way to keep customers in the know about your food. Add that with scrumptious photos of your food, and you’re sure to attract some leads.
Growth definitely isn’t linear, and most of the time, it can be hard to prioritize design over more important things like logistics or day-to-day management of the house. We guarantee this restaurant design template will take some weight off your shoulders.
A graphic design checklist will not solve all your problems, but it unlocks the design potential of your business. You’ll also go to sleep well knowing that your vision is in good hands.
These design capabilities are all available with DotYeti’s scalable graphic design service. We employ a team of expert designers to offer unlimited design requests and revisions for a flat monthly fee.
Share your story with us so we can create a customized plan just for you.
