Any restaurant consulting expert will tell you that marketing and branding is essential for a restaurant to succeed. Whether you’re a new restaurant owner or one solidified in your market, you need good marketing to stay relevant. One successful tactic is to personify your brand and promote the faces behind the names – and dishes.

Wendy’s was built on this premise, with owner Dave Thomas serving as the face of the brand throughout the 80s and 90s.  After Dave passed away, Wendy’s lost that personal connection, until recently, when Wendy (yes, that Wendy, all grown up) began to appear in the commercials.  The fact that she was launching a new product is certainly related but not the point.  Wendy’s has always been about the personal connection:  our family cares about what your family is eating.

This personal connection makes the customer feel connected and like they matter. They also feel that that the product the restaurant puts out was created with the customer in mind. The friendly face of Dave and now the friendly face of Wendy imply that personal connection and provide a lasting image that can create a base filled with new and repeat customers.

If you own or operate a restaurant, one successful tactic is to put a face behind the product. Whether it’s a gregarious chef of a fine dining restaurant or a host who will keep the patrons happy, guests patronize a restaurant as often for the front of the house as the food.  A restaurant consulting expert can help you find that face or image to keep your customers connected to the people behind your brand.