All chefs come with their goals and visions in building their own business. As with art, there are many things that chefs can do so that they can express their creativity in their culinary ventures. However, there is one crucial step in any chef’s success–and that is to build their brand and reputation.
Well-known private chef and food blogger Bill Bronchick always emphasizes the importance of having an established business brand in the food industry. There are many benefits according to him:
People can easily recognize your business
- People can easily recognize your business – when you are starting a food or restaurant business, it is important to customers that they recognize who you are. This is where fast food chains and popular food products capitalize on their brand authority. People prefer brands they already recognize.
Provides an avenue for many partnerships
- Provides an avenue for many partnerships – when you fully establish your brand, you are able to get more opportunities to be featured in magazines, newspapers, online blogs, and even TV shows. Brand recognition gives way to many networking opportunities.
Brings in more opportunities for growth
- Brings in more opportunities for growth – as you network with other establishments and people start to recognize your business, it is possible to grow your business through franchising, building another branch, or expanding your scope of service.
Now that we realize the importance of brand building in the food industry, Mr. Bronchick gives us an overview of the key principles of establishing your business authority.
5 Things Every Chef Should Know About Building Their Brand
Pinpointing your business’ specialty
Every restaurant or food product is known for their specialty. We could easily tell that Frito-Lay is known for their chips and snacks, and Taco Bell is recognized for their Mexican fast food. And so, it is important for any business in the food industry to be recognized for at least one distinct specialty.
If you own a restaurant, what dish can your place be known for? Perhaps you may be a go-to for the best steak in town. Or maybe you can satisfy your customers’ cupcake cravings? Focus on a single specialty, and you can expand from there.
High emphasis on local marketing
Another principle that chefs should understand is local marketing. “The community is where your customers are,” mentioned chef Bill Bronchick. There is no point in marketing your products on cross-state targets if it’s impossible for them to stop by your place. Focus on digital targeted advertising to build your brand, specifying to show your ads to potential customers located in your community.
As for traditional marketing tactics, you can always post on local bulletins, send an advertisement on your local TV or radio shows, or distribute flyers in front of your business location.
Encourage satisfied customers to review
You can also provide incentives to satisfied customers to give reviews on websites such as Yelp, Zomato or TripAdvisor. These websites are useful for building your brand because most users would look at star ratings and personal reviews before going to your restaurant or purchasing food items.
A great strategy to get them to review your place is to offer something for free on their next visit as they present their online reviews. As you accumulate more positive reviews in your food business, more people will recognize your brand in local rankings. Additionally, websites like these give placards and stickers to restaurants who achieved outstanding recognition.
Focus on customers’ perception of value
Something to consider is to understand your target customer’s perception of value. Value is set upon the finished product or service along with its price. If your service is expensive, you must deliver high-quality food products to your customers. Alternatively, if you present your brand as something that offers affordable items, it should taste good and be quickly created even in bulk amounts.
Be present on where people are
Lastly, building your brand also involves interacting with places where your potential customers are. Responding to spontaneous reviews in Yelp and Zomato can help your business get recognized. Posting your promos in social media will also give you an online presence for people who may be looking for your food service.
“The food business is highly competitive, but establishing your brand gives you a competitive edge with limitless possibilities,” Bill Bronchick mentioned. As food industry entrepreneurs follow these principles, they will further strengthen their brand’s presence
