Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Gavin, who says the name is terrible?

If the cafe has been successful for 12 years, changing its name might be risky.

Does it have a lot of regular customers? Maybe you can involve them in renaming the place, even if all you do is ask them if it NEEDS a new identity.

- Shelley

ps. What is the current name, anyway?

Hi Gavin,
Congratulations. Illy coffee is the very best, in my opinion!

I too would be concerned about changing the name of a 12-year old business. Could you tell us the current name of the cafe? Is it really that awful?

Also, are you just changing the name or are you going to make some other aesthetic changes to the cafe? Any menu changes or additions? If you're going to just change the name, be aware that habituees may not like it one bit. I just got back from my favorite early morning cafe (here in Italy) called La Delizia. The name is bland, but they've had it for the last 30 years.

Even though I would think twice about changing the name of your cafe, I think I will give you some names (in Italian since everyone else will likely give you English ones).

Dolce
Mattino
Mangia & Bevi
Brioche (it's sweet cake we eat in the mornings)
Desiderio
Sogni
Sveglia

I'll post more later!

Hi gavin

how about the name "Bistro". thats russian for cafe.

regarding the name change, echoing Ricky and Shelly, would you pls at least ask your customers about the name (since you have not done that) and then decide.

lastly congratulations on the new venture!! when will you treat the KHE members??? ;-)

cheers!!

First of all, I think the name "SAMIGES" bites somethin fierce!! What a nightmare!

Second, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the names Ricky suggested!! They reek of successful branding opportunities. I also like the simple names like Bistro and Cafe. What ever you choose, I would LOVE to do the logo work for you. (Just click on my name to get my email).

Third, And this part bites...I would not be advising you well if I didn't encourage you to survey the customers. I know you and your friends hate the name, but the public may love it! If they do, It would be wise to keep it, but perhaps change the look. IF the name makes you nauseous with embarrassment everytime someone speaks it, use the profits to buy/build anothor one with a different name...and use SAMIGES to advertise. Put it in a different area to spread your wings a bit.

Hope this helps!

P.S. I kinda like "Nemo's".

Samiges isn't all THAT bad. In fact, if you hadn't told me that it was the kid's pronunciation for sandwiches, I would have thought it was just someone's exotic last name.

When you're surveying your customers, make sure you ask them what they want you to keep on the menu. You probably already know what they order most frequently, but getting them INVOLVED early and often might be the best thing you can do to prevent attrition.

Hey, you could call it "Gavin's."

Or just "Dowling's."

How about “The Café formerly known as SAMIGES” no wait, that’s been done before. How about … The Little Sydney Café?

Best of luck,

- Steve

I guess some of the non-Aus input reflects a bit of a lack of local knowledge. Gavin is probably far too polite to say this, but in Australia, Starbucks may be consistent, but good coffee is something Starbucks knows nothing about. Australia, due to its cosmopolitan make-up, probbaly has more great espresso, caffe latte, macchiato e cappuchino per city block than Rome, Milan and Florence together.

So if this place formerly known as Samiges makes a half decent extraction from freshly roasted and ground beans, it needs a good name.

There's a fabulous place in Melbourne with the surly kind of waiters that would make a New Yorker feel at home called Caffe e Cucina. (Coffee and Cooking, I think??) Not sure whether you can errm rip off/borrow a name like that inetrstate (the trading names registrations (like a dba in USA) are state by state here in Aus, only company names are federally registered.

Why not look beyond the undoubtedly great coffee into the rest of the offering? Is it still sandwiches? How about calling it "You never starve in the desert" (because of all the sandwhichis there....) I suppose Oasis is hackneyed, and not very Australian, or Italian.

Or is it pies and pasties (sorry for the US contingent which by now may be wondering what the heck is all this about??) - might provoke a name like Coffee and Crust, Upper Crust, Golden Crust....

Or maybe it's delicate pastries, friandise, croissants, maybe suggesting an idea like Cafe e Pastizzi.

Or maybe simply simply Cafe Mosman. Or the PC version Cafe Mosperson. Or the Euro version cafe Mosmensch...

tell us more about your retail "unique selling proposition"...

You know, I'm dreading the day when someone comes on here and asks for some name ideas for a hairdresser. That's when we are really going to see the pithy and the double entendre in a major clash. I have a good mind to pre-empt that one myself...

Meanwhile the nurse says it's time for my medication.

Strong latte, no sugar thanks...

ChrisB

Gavin, HIDING the beans in the voting jar spoils the momentum and excitement. You will get more participation from customers if they can SEE their influence in action.

You could "preload" the jars so that it appears the voting is active and participation is high. Of course, you have to start with an equal number of beans in each one!

I think it's a great idea overall. When the waiter brings the check, bring the voting beans, too!

It is very important to achieve two goals at the same time: (1) upgrade your brand and services, (2) Maintain the historical positioning. Then a propose the next name: Soffee "Samiges and Coffee".

Bye,

Juan Carlos

OK, since you like Italian ..

Dolcevita (doesn't this mean "the easy life" or something?)
Napa
Italian Cafe House
Giuseppe's
Bella's
Espresso

Others:
The place
Jazz Cafe (and have relaxing jazz playing)
Coffee Bean House
Slow-Food
L'eau Cafe (guess that means "Water Cafe" in french, but I just like the sound of it)
Delight Cafe
Liberty Cafe
Java Bean (maybe have an internet connection)

This may be of interest too: https://www.eurocafeimports.com/open.html

Good Luck

Thanks Gavin,

I guess now I am going to have to come to Australia for a cup of caffé Sorrisi. Shucks. Darn it.


In bocca al lupo per la nuova attività! (Good luck with the new venure). Glad I could help.