Grab the Bull, and Your Brand, By the Horns

The statistics are infamous with anyone in the industry–newbie or veteran. Many restaurants never make it past year one, and even less make it to year five. But why? What are the causes of such high rates of failure? While one can argue for one cause or another, the truth is that it’s rarely one thing that causes failure. Instead, it’s usually a perfect storm of multiple causes that lead to a failing business model. It’s my belief, that most, if not all, of these causes could be avoided through an understanding and adoption of branding best practices.

I know what you’re thinking: “of course the branding expert thinks it’s a branding problem,” but hear me out. Branding is a strategic endeavor that is meant to guide every decision in a restaurant’s business. From operations to human resources, culinary innovation to, yes, visual and verbal identity design. When the strategy is fully adopted and used, decisions are made much clearer. Saying “no” to a poor space or bad menu item becomes much easier and innovation becomes much more comfortable.

When true branding best practices guide the development and growth of a restaurant concept, the risk of failure is reduced. In The Bullhearted Brand, I seek to lay out the foundational elements and details about creating and scaling restaurant brands. I infuse knowledge with real-world experiences throughout the pages and leverage stories, fables, and folklore from around the world that use the bull as the hero. Through these stories, real-life accounts, and expertise garnered from nearly 20 years of experience, my hope is to fuel the courage, conviction, and empathy required to lead the charge for your bullhearted brand.

Joseph Szala

Books

Audiobooks