Restaurant business names: 7 tips for coming up with your own

You’ve made some major progress toward the goal of opening your own restaurant. You’ve found the perfect location, tested recipes, and planned the menu. Now it’s time for the next, vital step: coming up with the right restaurant name.

You might have a long list of possible restaurant business names in your head already, or maybe you need to find the right idea to inspire you. Either way, our guide on how to choose a business name can make a difference as you work on your options.

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Why your restaurant business name matters

Names carry weight and significance, and in the restaurant industry, they make quite a powerful statement. 

Your name attracts customers. Have you ever gone out searching for a place to eat, seen or heard a restaurant name, and thought to yourself, “Wow, that sounds good?” If you’ve done that, your customers will do that, too. Leverage a catchy business name to reach new customers and keep current ones coming back to try new things on your menu.

The right name helps build a brand in a tough business. Running a restaurant is notoriously tough. How do you convince customers to dine in your eatery and not your competitor’s? Crafting a unique and lovable restaurant name is key to establishing yourself as a go-to destination.

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A good restaurant business name makes you memorable. Customers need to remember what you’re called to find you, whether on social media, on search engines, or in real life! A catchy restaurant business name sticks in your clientele’s mind, so next time they’re in the neighborhood, they’ll remember your spot and head on over for a delicious meal.

It can connect your restaurant to a certain region. An Italian restaurant with Nonna in the name may sound a little cliche, but it immediately calls to mind comforting, home-cooked goodness. When done well, your name can be a powerful restaurant marketing tool to communicate with your patrons what they can expect to eat and the type of atmosphere they’ll find at your establishment.

129 restaurant name ideas to jumpstart your creative process

Breakfast Cafe

Breakfast Buffet

Breakfast at Home

Breakfast Cuisine

Breakfast Coffee

Restaurant Cuisine

High Class Restaurants

Cuisine Restaurants

Staruante

Culinary Restaurant

Restaurant Gourmet

Restaurants Direct

Restaurant Gastronomique

Restaurant Kitchen

Bella Vista Cafe

Bella Cafe

Bella Rico Cafe

Bella Vita Cafe

Bellinis Cafe

Cucina Italiana

Bella Italian Restaurant

Bellaggio Cafe

Bellas Restaurant

Bella Java Cafe

The Italian Restaurant

Italian Food Restaurant

Vintage Italian Restaurant

Italian Village Restaurant

Italiano Restaurant

Curry Bowl Indian Restaurant

Indian Food Restaurant

Indian Curry House

Bollywood Indian Restaurant

Indian Curry Kitchen

Curry House Cuisine of India

Curry House Restaurant

Mexican Food Restaurant

Mexican Food Company

Texmexicano

Guacoa

Sandwichelada

Bavarian Restaurant

Bavaria Cafe

Beer Gardenberg

Bavarian Inn

Taste of Bavaria

Spicy Fiery Grill

Spicy Grills

Spicy Grill Restaurant

Spicy and Tasty

iGrillers

Chiliesty

Spicyhot

Spicy Restaurant

Chiliest

Spicy Cooking

The French Pastry

French Food Recipes

French Food Company

French Gourmet Bakery

Butter Salted

Gourmet French Food

Baguette and Beret

Baguette Bakery

Brioche Burger Bistro

Brioche French Bakery

Baguette Express

Brioche Bread

Bread and Brioche

Boulangeries

Croquette

Meringue Inc.

Haute Cuisine

French Cuisine Guide

Chef de Cuisine

Culinary France

Bistronomy

Brasseries

Gastronomie Inc.

Fusion Inc.

Brunches

Anywheres

Nearby Inc.

Appetizers and More

Appetizers Party

Crostini

Strawberry Inc.

Dessert

Clafoutis

Shortcakes

Fine Dining Guide

Fine Dining Experience

Dining Nightlife

Dining Life

Candle Light Dinner

Family Dinner Night

Light Inc.

Candelabra

Brunches

Romantique

Fusion Restaurant

Alchemi Fusions

Cuisine Fusion

Culinary Restaurant

Seafoods Inc.

Sushi Tokyo

Sushi Fitness

Sushi Eats

Sushi International

Japanese Inc.

Wasabi Shop

Best Local Restaurant

Nearby Restaurant

Gastro Inc.

Nearby Inc.

Nearest Inc.

Taco Monster

Monster Burritos

Tacolicious

Casaburger

Eatburger

Tasty Made Burger

Chef's Dinner

Dining With the Chef

Pizzaiologist

Master Chef Restaurant

Michelinardee

Gourmet Food Restaurant

Culinary Creations Restaurant

7 tips for coming up with a strong restaurant business brand name

Ready to get started? Check out these seven tips to come up with an inspired name for your restaurant brand.

1. Be your own star

Your food is unique — and your name should be, too. Imitating a well-known burger chain or taco joint can be a detriment to the successful restaurant you want to build. Choose a name that lets your restaurant ’s distinctive personality shine through.

2. Skip the corny jokes

Get it, corny? While a pun may seem like a good idea at first, it may encourage some eye rolls from potential customers. That doesn’t mean you have to be humorless, of course! Aim for something clever if you want to embrace a joke in your restaurant name.

3. Check the trademark

With hundreds of thousands of independent restaurants in the United States, it’s inevitable that two or more will share the same name. However, it’s still good practice to check to see if your potential restaurant name conflicts with others. For this, there are a few steps to take, including searching the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) database, conducting an internet search for nearby restaurants with the same or similar names, and consulting with a trademark attorney. 

4. Match the name to the cuisine

Words, phrases, and names in other languages can represent the cuisine you’re cooking. This can have a significant impact on customers looking for a certain type of fare. This can even be a great route for a fusion cuisine restaurant that pairs two foods or words from those cultures together.

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5. Use a business name generator

A business name generator like Namecheap’s can spark the inspiration for a great restaurant name. To get the most out of a business name generator, submit words that speak to your new restaurant and see what the generator creates. These names can be used as-is, or you can build on them to create your own unique restaurant name idea.

6. Short and sweet is key

Simple and easy-to-remember names are the ones best recalled by customers. Choose something concise featuring words that are easy to understand and pronounce. A short and sweet name helps your customers remember who you are. 

7. Picture your name as a design

The menu, the signage out front, gift certificates: Your restaurant business name appears in quite a lot of places, and it needs to look like it belongs in each one. So as you design your logo with a free logo maker or work with a designer, test different iterations and try them out in various settings. Get a feel for how this name will look all over your restaurant.

Made with Namecheap Logo Maker

What you need after you name your restaurant business

Once you’ve decided on a restaurant name, you’ll need to protect your new creation online. The first step is to purchase the domain, or web address, with your restaurant’s name in it. Secure this right away to make sure you own the URL that represents your business. You may also want to consider buying variations of your name as domains, as well as your restaurant name at different extensions, such as .co, .biz, and .restaurant.

It’s a good idea to secure your new restaurant name on social media as well. These “handles,” as they’re called, are what customers use to find your business and ensure they’re interacting with the right one. As soon as you can, register for social media accounts with your restaurant name, even if you don’t plan to post for a while. Hold onto them to ensure you’re ready for your eventual launch. 

Get started with Namecheap’s Business Name Generator

Whether you’re opening a fine dining destination or you’re launching a casual eatery, a business name generator can jump-start the creative process. Namecheap’s Business Name Generator simplifies the naming process with a few simple steps. Just input your initial thoughts and suggestions, and the generator does the rest. Get started today for free!