Choosing the perfect name for your restaurant is one of the most crucial steps in establishing your brand and attracting customers. Your restaurant’s name should be unique, memorable, and reflective of your concept and cuisine. In this guide, we will explore a variety of restaurant name ideas, tips, and strategies to help you find the ideal name for your dining establishment.
Good restaurant names need to be equal parts eye-catching and unique, while accurately conveying what your restaurant is all about. They should hint at the type of food you serve, seem cool without trying too hard, and be easy to spell and remember. Importantly, avoid names that are too similar to existing restaurants or businesses in your area to prevent confusion and competition misdirection.
The Washington Post analyzed 40,000 Chinese restaurant names in the United States and found that over one-third included the word “China” or “Chinese.” This indicates that being descriptive can help with brand recognition. With that in mind, here are some tips to get you started on the path to discovering the right restaurant name for your new spot.
If you’re thinking about opening a restaurant, congrats! One of the difficult and important decisions you as a restaurant owner need to make is choosing your restaurant name. It should be unique, easy pronouns and memorable.Most importantly, the name should have substance, ideally with a neat backstory behind it.
A recent piece in Bon Appétit notes that “every third restaurant you pass has practically the same name.” So how do you stand out? Keep reading for an exploration into noteworthy names, why they work, and actionable tips for locking down your decision before someone else scoops it up.
Invoke Curiosity
Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it’ll drive diners through your doors. A name that builds intrigue and sparks conversation can put (and keep) your restaurant on diners’ radar. More than that, it can give new customers the push they need to see what your restaurant is all about.
Example: Disco Cheetah
Disco Cheetah is a food truck and brick-and-mortar spot whipping up fast-casual Korean cuisine like rice bowls with fried tofu & gochujang tomato sauce, bulgogi beef, and Napa cabbage kimchi. Its name is integrated into everything from its logo (a cheetah rocking shades and big hair) to its tagline (Serving Real Food, Fast!). Its dishes are bold and fresh, and that’s reflected in its branding too.
Make It Memorable
Consider that 45% of people find a new restaurant from word-of-mouth, mostly from friends and family. People often share recommendations verbally, in conversation — which means when someone goes to Google your restaurant later, the name must be unique enough to stick in their mind.
Example: Merry Piglets
Part of the ethos for Merry Piglets is “to create a fun, lively, relaxed environment where you can unwind and feel like part of the family.” Both words (merry and piglets) evoke playful imagery, following through on the restaurant’s commitment to the words “fun” and “lively.” The name is definitely easy to remember and gets bonus points for being entertaining to say!
Describe Your Menu Your cuisine can be your first stop for name inspiration. Naming your restaurant in a way that showcases your ingredients or menu offerings lets diners know what to expect. This approach might sound more practical than creative, but the examples below show how to do it artfully.Example: Citrus & Salt
Citrus & Salt, a Boston-based Coastal Mexican joint, uses its name to emphasize the key components of margaritas: lime juice and a salt rim. Citrus also shows up elsewhere on the menu in lime cabbage slaw, lemon crema, and a citrus vinaigrette on its grapefruit, avocado, and butter lettuce salad.
Connect to Your Concept
Can you describe your concept without using the exact words of what you offer? For example, think about the name of a Latin American-inspired restaurant that doesn’t use the words taqueria, cantina, or taco. The result, like The Painted Burro, would be a unique name that differentiates you in the dining scene. This is one of the best but hardest ways to name your restaurant. When it’s done right, the result is a spot-on moniker that just clicks with diners.
Example: Sunday’s Best
Sunday’s Best in Sandy, UT, has taken a beloved weekend tradition and extended it to an all-day brunch menu served seven days a week. The name is a spin on the phrase “Sunday best,” which typically describes the fine clothing people wear to church. It also acknowledges the connotation of brunch as a popular Sunday tradition.
Showcase One Word
Sometimes less is more — and occasionally, one word is all you need to communicate the essence of your restaurant. The trick with a one-word restaurant name is that it needs to be powerful and punchy to really work. Strive for unconventional and uncommon.
Example: Krill
Giorgios Bakatsias is crushing Far East Funk cuisine at Krill in Durham, NC. Named after a tiny crustacean that’s most widely consumed in Southeast Asia, the restaurant incorporates the creature into its logo and menu with krill sambal and krill fried rice. Krill is a quirky choice that stands out among the run-of-the-mill names.
Use Alliteration
The repetition of a letter at the beginning of back-to-back words is more than a literary device — it’s an easy way to stand out in the sea of restaurant names. This technique creates rhythm and a sort of “bounciness” that’s pleasing to the ear. Alliteration also helps people remember, so it’s another tactic to create memorability.
Example: Burro Bar
Burro is the Spanish word for donkey, and right off the bat, diners know what to expect at Boston’s Burro Bar. The Mexican kitchen and tequila bar is actually an offshoot of its big sister restaurant, The Painted Burro. In this particular usage of alliteration, Burro Bar rolls right off the tongue.
Pay Special Tribute
Not sure which direction to go when selecting a name? Consider using the opportunity to spotlight someone special in your life — especially if they connect with your restaurant’s cooking. Whether it’s a dog, daughter, wife, or grandfather, you can show your appreciation with this gesture.
Example: Lily P’s
Chef Chris Parsons is no stranger to naming concepts. For his third time around, he decided to name his fried chicken establishment after his daughter. The food at Lily P’s reminds Parsons of family memories — and what better way to honor that nostalgia than naming the place after one of his kids.
Allude to the Owner/Operator
The simplest way to connect a proprietor to their concept is to name the restaurant after them (for example, “Luke’s Diner.”) But there’s a subtle, more artful way to do this: nod to the owner instead of naming them outright. When done correctly, this doesn’t just honor the head honcho; it invokes the curiosity discussed earlier in this list.
Example: The Tailor’s Son
Adriano Paganini’s Northern Italian restaurant, The Tailor’s Son, describes itself as “a love letter to Italy woven from a different cloth.” The restaurant’s name is a discreet description of who Paganini is — quite literally a tailor’s son. He grew up near Milan surrounded by a family who used their hands to alter garments, making way for him to use his own hands to cook instead.
Play With Words
Fun rhymes, odes to pop culture, and puns all have their place in the restaurant name game. However, it’s easy for restaurants to get carried away with this. Your audience may like “punny” jokes, but if they don’t — and many people don’t — make sure any wordplay is clever, not tacky.
Example: Angry Egrette Dinette
Wes Avila came up with the lyrical name Angry Egret Dinette after watching two egrets fight over a piece of fish. What began as an inside joke between him and his wife became the roots for this spot, which opened during the pandemic and was named a 2022 James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. The name is fresh, fun, and rolls right off the tongue in a sing-songy sort of way.
Write Down Your Restaurant’s Mission, Vision, Purpose, and Core Values
Your restaurant’s mission statement is part autobiography, part north-star. It describes who you are, why you’re here, and what you plan to accomplish as a member of the restaurant community, while also acting as your guiding light for any and all business decisions that need to be made — including naming your restaurant.
Your restaurant’s mission statement can and should play a large role in choosing the right name for your restaurant.
Let’s do a little exercise. If you’ve developed a mission statement for your restaurant, have it close by; if not, that’s fine, too. Grab a pen and paper and write down the following:
The purpose of this exercise is to pull out words and phrases that describe your restaurant and may warrant inclusion in your restaurant’s name. This list will also come in handy when building out your restaurant business plan.
When you can’t think of anything else to add, read back over your list of superlatives, adjectives, and descriptors and circle your favorites. These will be the building blocks of your restaurant name.
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Use a Restaurant Name Generator to Spark New Ideas
Can’t get your creative juices flowing? Believe it or not, restaurant name generators can lend a helping hand. If you think you’re above it, consider this fun fact: Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino) got his stage name from a Wu-Tang name generator.
Here are five great name generators for you to play around with. Some ask for guidance in the form of keywords (have your mission statement list handy), while others just assemble random combinations of words.
Ask Your Community for Restaurant Name Ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration or perhaps a tie-breaker on two restaurant name ideas, ask the public for their input. If they end up picking the name you run with, they’ll be much more likely to support your business and promote it to their family and friends — after all, they helped you pick your name! Here are a few ways to solicit feedback on your name from your community:
To ensure you get responses, you can sweeten the pot with an incentive or two. Consider raffling off a free meal on opening night, inviting the decisive voter in for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and photo op, or naming a menu item after the respondent who suggests the best name.
When deciding on a name for your new concept, there are several creative avenues to explore. Whether it’s clever wordplay, nods to popular culture, or other inventive categories, we’ve gathered a range of restaurant names to spark your inspiration as you brainstorm and pitch ideas to your team.
26. Curry in a Hurry — New York, NY
27. Peg Leg Porker — Nashville, TN
28. The Angry Avocado — The Dalles, OR
29. Jajaja — New York, NY
30. Pork on a Fork — Phoenix, AZ
31. Mama Mai’s Noodles — Stevens Point, WI
32. Patati Patata — Montreal, Canada
33. No Name Restaurant — Boston, MA
34. Girl and the Goat — Chicago, IL
35. GRILLRILLA — Hanover, PA
36. Leaping Lizard Cafe — Virginia Beach, VA
37. He’s Not Here Bar — Chapel Hill, NC
38. 2 Dudes Brew & Que — Monroe, LA
39. Dough Doughnuts — New York, NY
40. Buck & Bull — Pittsburgh, PA
41. Lyla Lila – Atlanta, GA
42. Cookie Monstah — Boston, MA
43. Goldilox Bagels — Medford, MA
44. India Jones — Los Angeles, CA
45. The Slaw Dogs — Pasadena, CA
46. The Lockhart Bar (Harry Potter book/film series) — Toronto, Canada
47. 16 Handles (Sixteen Candles: 1984 film) — New York, NY, and others
48. Tequila Mockingbird (To Kill a Mockingbird: 1960 book) — New Canaan, CT
49. Life of Pie (Life of Pi: 2002 Yann Martel novel) — Ottawa, Canada
50. Lord of the Fries (Lord of the Flies: 1954 novel) — Melbourne, Australia
51. The Glass Onion (“Glass Onion:” 1968 Beatles song) — Falmouth, MA When the owners’ 2-year-old son suggested that the restaurant be named after one of his favorite Beatles songs, “Glass Onion,” they couldn’t say no.
52. Pita Pan (Peter Pan: 1904 play and later Disney movie) — New York, NY
53. Planet of the Crepes (Planet of the Apes: 1968 novel and later movie & TV show) — Tucson, AZ
54. Thai Tanic (Titanic, 1997 film) — Washington, D.C.
55. Santa Baby Bar (“Santa Baby,” 1953 Eartha Kitt song) — Chicago, IL
56. Jekyll & Hyde Club (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: 1886 novella) — New York, NY
57. BeetleHouse (Beetlejuice: 1988 film) — Los Angeles, California; New York, NY and Washington, D.C.
58. Rock Lobster (“Rock Lobster,” 1979 B-52s song) – Chandler, AZ
59. The Holy Grail Pub (Monty Python and the Holy Grail: 1975 film) — Plano, TX
60. Oliver’s Twist – Seattle, WA
61. How Ya Dough’n – Boca Raton, FL
62. Cheesy Does It — Saratoga, NY
63. Bizzy B Cakes — Albuquerque, NM
64. The Dairy Godmother — Alexandria, VA
65. Kale Me Crazy — Atlanta, GA
66. Nacho Problem — Durban, South Africa
67. Nothing Bundt Cakes — Texas-based with locations nationwide
68. Lettuce Eat — Monroeville, PA
69. Juan More Taco — Fredericksburg, VA
70. Wild Thyme Gourmet — Highlands, NC
71. Hip Stirs Coffee House — Brookville, OH
72. What the Pho — Bellevue, WA
73. Divine Pastabilities — San Diego, CA
74. Rolling in Dough Bread Company — Moss Bluff, LA
75. Bite Mi Asian Kitchen — Long Beach, CA
76. Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises — Chicago, IL
77. Brew’d Awakening Coffeehaus — Lowell, MA
78. Pho With Us — Austin, TX
Best Italian Restaurant Names
84. Earth, Wind, and Flour — Santa Monica, CA
85. Pane e Vino — Providence, RI
86. L’unico — Portland, OR
87. Semolina – Red Bank, NJ
88. Piano, Piano — Toronto, Canada
89. El Jardin – San Diego, CA
90. Uno Mas Taquiza — Portland, OR
91. Bueno y Sano — Various locations in Massachusetts
92. Havana Rumba, Louisville, KY
93. Quiero Cafe – Portland, ME
94. Juan in a Million — Austin, TX
95. Zocalo – Sacramento, CA
96. Ma’s House — Laguna Hills, CA
97. Mei Mei — Boston, MA Mei Mei means “little sister” in Chinese
98. A Single Pebble — Burlington, VT
99. Toro — Boston, MA
100. Casa Mono & Bar Jamón — New York, NY
101. Bar Raval — Toronto, Canada
102. Sakura Japanese Restaurant — Christchurch, New Zealand
103. Ichigo Ichie — Montreal, QC The Japanese idiom “ichigo ichie” describes the concept of treasuring the moment because it’s fleeting
104. Codfather — Reno, NV
105. Frying Nemo — Northern Territory, Australia
106. Neptune Oyster — Boston, MA
107. La Mar — Miami
108. Ghee Indian Kitchen — Miami, FL
109. Badmaash — Los Angeles, CA Badmaash means mischievous in Hindi
110. Tikkaway — New Haven, CT
111. Wunderbar — Covington, KY
112. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café – Sanford, FL
113. Just Jerks (Ena’s Jamaican Grill) — Cincinnati, OH
114. Jamaican Patty — Springfield, MO
115. Rasta Pasta — Toronto, Canada
116. Thai Basil — Manchester Center, VT
117. Jitlada — Los Angeles, CA It’s named after a royal palace in Bangkok
118. DakZen — Somerville, MA According to the Harvard Crimson, “The restaurant’s name breaks down to “dak,” a term used to describe enjoying food so much that “eating” is not sufficient to describe the experience, and “zen,” meaning noodles”
Whether you’re a first-time restaurateur or a seasoned one, opening a new concept requires many important decisions. Picking a fitting restaurant name is one of the biggest choices to make since it informs so much of the concept overall. By considering factors like memorability, curiosity, and alignment with your concept, you can create a name that stands out and resonates with your audience. Use the tips and strategies in this guide, and don’t hesitate to utilize a restaurant’s name generator or solicit community input to find the perfect name for your dining establishment.
