cec-chicago

WHAT'S IN A NAME
Angelo Eliades - April 16, 2010

I was recently interviewed by Metromix Chicago's Red Eye (click here to view article)newspaper for a local contest that was being run to determine Chicago's favorite bar name deriving from local street names. The interview made me stop and think about the thought process that goes into finding a name for your restaurant or bar. Most business owners have a personal connection to the name of their business. The name is one of the only aspects of the business that pays homage to the owner. A great example comes from Nine Group, a hospitality group with restaurants and nightclubs in Chicago, Las Vegas and Dallas. The name Nine is the age when the managing partners first began their friendship. How cool is that?

In many cases, the name is thought of before even the concept. I remember the first nightclub concept that I ever conceptualized. I was walking through the Museum of Art in Chicago when I a Vincent Van Gough painting captured my imagination. The painting was a group of men sitting around a table and drinking - appropriately named "The Drinkers". The original thought was that this painting would make an "awesome" VIP card. From that painting evolved a full concept featuring art, music, colors and other features inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. It's almost like the old proverb - "what came first, the chicken or the egg?". When thinking of name for your new business, make it personal because it's one of the only aspects of your business that you will have a connection to. The rest of your concept has to cater to your customers.