I’ll admit it—I’ve got an unhealthy fascination with Kitchen Nightmares. If you can ignore all of the staged conflict, it’s a fascinating show that speaks to some of the keys to a good business model. I can say confidently that the viewers are exposed to some really key business ideas, regardless of the business that they’re in.
And while there are some lessons that are broad, other lessons are much more specific. Take décor, for example. In almost every episode, a little bit of time is taken out to rip in to some piece of the layout or décor that is so distracting that it takes away from the meal. Here’s a unique solution: a vinyl mural.
What is a Vinyl Mural, Anyway?
We talk a lot on this blog about vehicle wraps and even window graphics that can help you to promote your business. A vinyl mural is something like that, except more along the lines of a substitution for wallpaper. It’s an adhesive vinyl cover that you can have affixed to your wall. It’s much better than wall paper for a number of reasons:
- Cleans Easily: If you’re tidying up, you can just wipe off these murals with warm water. Try that with wallpaper and see if it doesn’t bubble or tear.
- Worriless Installation: our installers make sure you get full coverage on your wall without any bubbles or off-center spots.
- Custom Image: You can’t order a wall paper with a family portrait or a still life painting, but you can do all of that with a mural.
Ambience on Demand
Without a doubt, running a restaurant is about appealing to the senses. The smells coming from the kitchen, the music or conversation, and the ambiance all contribute to the overall effect of the experience that your customers pay for. And let’s not mince words—there are definitely those picky eaters out there who will look past your great food to criticize a mediocre design scheme, and leave poor feedback on restaurant review sites.
The atmosphere that you create and how you decorate the restaurant are part of your brand and value proposition. Using a mural is a great way to set the tone in the restaurant. To set a romantic mood, consider a heady, velvety scene that makes people think about textures and intimate encounters. A family restaurant might use a scene that is bright, fun, or familiar like grandma’s kitchen. Some restaurants may require themes—especially those that have a strictly ethnic menu that asks people to imagine themselves in a different part of the world. A mural can even be used to speak to a certain type of customer in the area, like an age group or working group.
How Do You Boast Your Brand?
What other ways do you use to get your brand across to your customers? Do you use anything unique to make them feel comfortable in your restaurant? You can use techniques and tools of any size to differentiate yourself, down to little details like menu fonts and the way you wrap silverware.