How to Design an Unforgettable Restaurant Logo
- Kamilla Sims
- Jul 25
- 2 min read
Your logo is more than a pretty icon, i’s your restaurant’s first impression. Whether you’re running a cozy diner or a high-end bistro, your logo should instantly tell customers what kind of experience to expect.
You might not think you need a strong logo as a restaurant but a strong logo means more bookings, more photos (free advertising), and more brand loyalty. While a weak logo or no logo is forgettable, generic or in the worse case just plain confusing. Need a custom hand drawn restaurant logo? Let's design something bold and memorable.
Step 1: Define Your Brand Personality First
Your logo needs to match your restaurant's style and clientele. So you need to be clear on what your vision is. A boho vegan cafe will have a totally different vibe than a dark speakeasy.
Tip: you can start by choosing 3 words that define your brand and design from there.
Step 2: Pick the Right Logo Style
You've got 3 basic styles to choose from
Wordmark: typography only (clean but also generic and boring)
Icon-based: an image like an illustrated soup bowl or glass of wine ect.
Or a combination of the two
Tip: hand-drawn or illustrated logos add a unique artisan feel, especially for indie restaurants.
Wordmark Icon-based Combination
Step 3: Choose Colors and Fonts that Set the Tone
Color affects appetite and emotion, and fonts can make or break your vibe. Neon pick for a retro dinner = I love it! For a French wine bar = definitely not.
Tip: build a mini brand board with your final palette and fonts, this will help things stay consistent across your brand. Also avoid using generic Canva fonts, a designer will always use a custom font or even create their own and customers can tell the difference.
Step 4: Make Sure It's Versatile
Your logo needs to look great on everything! Menus, signage, social media, takeout bags ect.
Tip: Use a vector format and ask for multiple logo variations (horizontal icon-only ect.)
Step 5: Work with a designer (Not Canva)
Canva templates are a dime a dozen, but custom designs mean long term brand recognition. A logo drawn by actual branding pro will always log better than your neighbor's Etsy logo.
Tip: Hire a designer who understands restaurant branding (I'm available)
A logo is an investment, not an expense. Work with me to design an unforgettable restaurant logo. Let's create something that people remember- and crave. Book your restaurant branding session now.
See my past projects and branding process
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