Food nostalgia is in the air. Many consumers are reminiscing on the good ol’ times as a distraction from everyday life. When people think of fast-food chains or restaurants, they often think of their first experiences eating a meal and the classic logos or branding of the establishment. There has been a recent trend among operators of using nostalgia to draw in customers. All around us, the retro logos of popular fast-food chains have been popping up again.
Rebranding is a huge part of the food and beverage industry because it plays a massive role in attracting customers to an establishment. When consumers think of a brand they often think of its logo before anything else. Putting a spin on your restaurant’s branding is a great way to refresh your establishment, draw attention to your business, increase sales, and keep loyal customers engaged.
Fast Food Chains That Have Gone Back To Their Roots
These days, everyone enjoys taking a break from their current reality to appreciate memorable moments from the past. To play up to the nostalgia, consumers are currently experiencing many classic brands that have brought their classic logo and branding from several decades ago. Pizza Hut changed its current logo to its classic one from the 1960s, and Burger King has updated its logo and online branding to a logo that is similar to their 1960s version. Several beverage and snack brands have also brought back their classic branding.
How Brands Have Changed
Reverting back to the logo used during the childhood of many consumers evokes a sense of familiarity in people. Bringing back their classic logos, fonts, graphics, and packaging has allowed brands to make a departure from their current aesthetic to impress customers. The style of branding from decades before is instantly recognizable and stands out in a modern world. The retro logos used also reflects a time where a brand was extremely popular amongst consumers.
How Retro Branding Attracts Customers
Many consumers find themselves going back to fast-food chains that have brought back classic logos just to relive childhood nostalgia. In recent years, many operators in the food and beverage industry have branded themselves with a futuristic eye-catching look, to keep up with the times. Many Millenials are attracted to a futuristic yet minimal aesthetic when it comes to branding. However, the recent nostalgic kick consumers are currently feeling has allowed brands to bring back the retro branding so many enjoyed in the past. Consumers these days are attracted to the look and feel of retro logos. Rebranding back to classic styles encourages customers to stop by restaurants more often to have a retro experience.
Ways To Rebrand Your Restaurant 
A rebrand is the best way to refresh your restaurant. If you’re looking to give your brand a boost, consider updating the look of your logo, packaging, and more. Be sure to get your business into the nostalgia craze customers are feeling before it dies down or take a look at current marketing trends to find what works best for your business.
As a restauranteur, you must have a good feel of what attracts customers to your establishment. With so much technology available, rebranding is much easier through social media, online platforms, and mobile apps. Take a look at our list of ideas and suggestions to help give your restaurant’s brand a whole new look.
If your restaurant has gone through many logo changes, consider bringing a classic logo back to indulge in consumer nostalgia. If you’ve never changed your business’s logo before, now is a good time to do so. Think of different kinds of fonts, colors, or graphics that fit with your restaurant aesthetic. Keep in mind your logo should be eye-catching to new customers, so don’t pick a logo that is too busy or doesn’t make the name of your establishment clear.
- Keep what works for you: If your brand has already been established, be careful to not change too many details. Customers are more likely to return to brands they already recognize. If you get rid of what already is working for your restaurant, you might risk losing customers who are turned off by your brand’s complete makeover.
- Highlight what does work for you: Take a look at your restaurant’s best-selling menu items and incorporate them into your brand’s new look. Whether your business is known for its beverages, sides, or entrees, be sure to use that to your advantage and tie it into your logo, either through a graphic, a small phrase, or specific color.
Update Your Online Presence
The easiest way to reach your customers is through your online presence. If your business is in need of an online makeover, now is the time to do it. By making a few simple updates to modernize your restaurant’s website, mobile apps, or social media platforms, you’ll be able to make your business much more accessible to customers.
Take a look at your restaurant’s online presence to get a feel for what needs to be updated. Browse around your business’s website or mobile app to find out how easy it is to reach your menu, prices, and locations. The key is to make your website easy to access and helpful when answering any questions your customers might have. You should also take a look at your competitors’ websites or mobile apps to see how they’ve branded themselves online. If your restaurant’s website feels a bit outdated in comparison to others, it’s a sign it needs to be updated.
On your social media platforms, it’s important to engage with your customers on a daily basis. When rebranding your business, make sure that your social media platforms are rebranded as well, either through a change in photos, brand new posts, or graphics. Your loyal customers should be aware there’s a change happening in your restaurant, while new customers will be interested to discover your restaurant has a new look. You can spend some time on social media teasing the rebrand of your restaurant so your customers are anticipating it while gaining a new following of eager consumers.
Consult With Your Staff
Be sure to get your staff’s opinion as well before you make too many drastic changes to your business. Your staff should know the ins and outs of your restaurant even better than you do so they'll be able to give you extra insight on what customers like about your brand and what they don’t like about your brand.
As consumers themselves, your staff understands what they are looking for in a business and what kinds of changes your restaurant can benefit from. Do your best to get staff involved with your rebrand straightaway, as they’ll be able to give you a good amount of fresh ideas to work from.
Keep staff informed as you are updating areas of your business, and incorporate their feedback to the changes you are making. As your restaurant’s rebrand is close to being finished, your staff will be able to spread the word to customers and increase sales faster in the long run. If your staff is supportive of your restaurant’s rebrand, you are more than likely to see positive changes on the inside and outside of your business.
