Restaurant Brand Refreshes

Refining, branding and developing restaurant brand refreshes

We are well-respected international restaurant brand refresh consultants with a successful track record of refining, branding and developing restaurant brand refreshes. We have extensive restaurant brand refresh consulting experience with fast food, fast causal, casual and fine-dining restaurants as well as hotels and institutional food service establishments.

Discovery tour

Our proven process starts with a Discovery tour – a collaborative multi-day Discovery tour with client focusing on visits to “must see” competitive and on-trend restaurant concepts. Together with our restaurant brand refresh client, we will visit the recommended restaurants to thoroughly understand conceptual and financial insights, culminating with the sharing of alternative strategies that will enable the client’s brand refresh to have a unique, competitive edge, and to create a scalable, profitable restaurant brand that makes an emotional connection with its core customers, boasting a financial model that works and a business plan that is achievable. In addition, this process will enable all team members to achieve project and concept alignment.

Discovery tour

Our proven process starts with a Discovery tour – a collaborative multi-day Discovery tour with clients focusing on visits to “must see” competitive and on-trend restaurant concepts.  Together with our startup restaurant client, we will visit the recommended restaurants to thoroughly understand conceptual and financial insights, culminating with the sharing of alternative strategies that will enable the client’s startup concept to have a unique, competitive edge and create a scalable, profitable restaurant brand that makes an emotional connection with its core customers. In addition, we will help prepare a financial model that works and a business plan that is achievable. This process will enable all team members to achieve project and concept alignment.

Brand positioning session

Following the Discovery, Ellish Marketing Group conducts their proprietary Brand Positioning Session with all members of the Discovery participating.  We have utilized this methodology to position global, domestic, regional and local brands across many industries.  Many well-respected restaurant brands have utilized our brand positioning services.

The effective development of a Brand Positioning for the new startup restaurant brand will aid in getting the new startup brand’s desired message across and make an impression that lasts.  It will also focus the efforts of all of those involved in brand activities.

Concept book creation

A new restaurant start-up begins with a vision and culminates with a built-out environment. The Concept Book will provide an overview of the new startup concept using rich imagery to create the look and feel of the restaurant, a sense of the guest experience and an outline of how the restaurant will operate.  The Concept Book narrative is designed to ensure clarity of the new concept and its goals and to keep the entire team focused.  The Concept Book will become the core of the final Business Plan.

The Concept Book is a crucial tool for clients to share with partners, investors, landlords, media and others. It will help communicate the concept story and to generate buzz.

Consumer research and concept validation

To validate the new startup restaurant’s concept and brand positioning, we typically suggest utilizing a quantitative consumer research study.  Our research team will deign the study, implement the study and then present a comprehensive write-up with key findings and actionable recommendations on how to enhance the concept further.