Your restaurant sign enables people to find you, so it has to do its job well. It has to be eye-catching. It also creates a “first” impression every time someone sees it. If your restaurant sign is less-than-professional looking, what does that say about your food?
Here are five keys to designing a restaurant sign that will be eye-catching and make you proud:
1. Match your thematic artwork.
Consistency makes your restaurant sign immediately recognizable to everyone already familiar with your business, because they know your logo and your official colors. For new prospective patrons, your sign begins the branding process, making consistency doubly important.
If you cater or deliver – or you just want to be promotionally proactive — you can expand the value of your sign and reinforce your visual branding with matching vehicle wraps.
Your awning can serve as your restaurant sign. If you don’t have an awning, you’re missing a superb opportunity to make your place stand out in ways the average sign simply can’t manage. Unless you have a free-standing building or the ability to install huge wall signage, an awning will be much larger than any typical sign. There’s more room to create an impact.
Awnings also add style points no matter what type of restaurant you have. And they provide protection from the elements, something patrons truly appreciate.
It’s important to work with a graphic designer knowledgeable about signage, including the pros and cons of different construction methods and materials, as those things can affect how your design will look and how long it will keep looking good.
2. Match your style.
Consistency extends beyond your logo and colors. A trendy bar might be able to get away with a goofy, flashy sign, but the same sign will be a turn-off to people looking for a quiet setting for a special occasion.
Your restaurant sign doesn’t have to be the usual rectangle, but it does have to easily accommodate whatever you plan to put on it. What’s the shape of your logo? What other text will appear on your sign? Are the words long or short?
What sign regulations come into play? If someone else owns your building, you may be obligated to follow their rules about shape, size, color, installation method, etc. And every municipality has rules that govern business signage.
3. Keep it simple.
The best signs are easy to read, at first glance. Clean design is more attractive to the eye, and less visual clutter is more restful so eyes want to linger. Even a few seconds more can leave an impression that lasts much longer.
4. Don’t forget lighting.
Unless you’re running an all-night diner, you’re not open all the time. But that doesn’t mean your restaurant sign should go off-duty, too. You want it to be readily visible all day long and all night, too, but especially when you’re open. Even if you only serve lunch, sometimes the weather is so dark and stormy it seems like dusk outside. So light up that sign.
That doesn’t mean you’re limited to a box with lights on the inside and a sheet of plastic on the outside. Talk to your awning professional about creative alternatives that work nicely for canopies and might do wonders for your sign, too, whether lit from the front or behind.
5. Position your restaurant sign for all to see.
You want it to be visible from every possible direction, up close and from a distance. You don’t always have a choice where your sign will go, but what are your options? How well your sign catches people’s eye depends on where your restaurant is located and whether you choose a sign that’s wall-mounted, free-standing or hanging.
Your restaurant sign sets your place apart. It supports your brand. And when it’s well-designed, it looks irresistibly inviting. That’s a pretty tasty combination.
Photo Credit: zoetnet via Flickr
