Question

Topic: Branding

Branding A Cafe With A Bicycle Theme

Posted by larry_yap on 12/14/2015 at 7:54 AM ET 75 Points
Is there any best practises on branding a cafe business that follows the name of another business line on bicycle servicing?

Some background information:
The business is well-known in the bicycle servicing community, and the cafe is newly set up. However, the cafe is far away from the bicycle servicing business, hence it is not like [URL deleted by moderator]

From how I see it, leveraging the bicycle servicing brand does have its value, however i'm not sure if this is the best/only way to go.

Considering that the name of the cafe cannot be changed, i.e MyBicycleServicingBizName Cafe, would love to seek your opinions on how your would brand the cafe as well as any other considerations.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Mike Steffes on 12/14/2015 at 10:40 AM Member
    Unless the greater community has some deep bicycling ethos, the connection (given they are not co-located) seems tenuous.
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 12/14/2015 at 1:34 PM Accepted
    Is the cafe owned by the same people as the bicycle servicing? If not, then something to worry about is trade mark protection. basically, if someone uses a name, that name is part of their trademark. if someone else uses a name close to that, and the name could cause confusion in the market (make people think of the first company when going to the second), then that is a trademark conflict.

    Looking at the web site, it appears they are the same, so that isn't an issue. But the name Mojo is a mountain bike model name by Ibis, so there may be conflict there. At least Ibis is not known to be as heavy handed as Specialized, who are know for being very aggressive at protecting their brand names (they threatened to sue a cafe in Canada named Roubaix, which is a Specialized bike model name).

    If the question is how to brand a cafe that is not located near the bike shop, but uses the same brand, then I am with Mime in his responses above that the connection is tenuous so won't bring a lot of added value over choosing some other name.

  • Posted by mgoodman on 12/14/2015 at 4:15 PM Accepted
    If "the name of the cafe cannot be changed," what's the question?

    A brand is more than a name, and the possible leverage from the bicycle servicing business is minimal, I'm not sure there's a good way to save the cafe brand. It is what it is.

    What am I not understanding?

  • Posted by larry_yap on 12/15/2015 at 12:04 AM Author
    Thanks to everyone for weighing. I'm new to this so please bear with me as I grope around. I'm clarifying the above question and the background information.

    There are a good many vintage bicycles involved in the cafe.

    What would you consider in creating a brand voice for the cafe, given that the cafe is an F&B establishment, and yet at the same time, its theme is around bicycles?

    Also, on a website/communications, how would you go about determining the weight of content (food or bicycles?) on it?


    @Peter: I may have confused you with the link, it was just to indicate they are not co-located.





  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 12/15/2015 at 8:27 AM Accepted
    If the cafe has a bicycle theme, then make up a bicycle-sounding name, rather than use an existing bicycle brand. Or, find a defunct bicycle maker, and use their name. A winery in California used the name of a bicycle brand, and had a protracted legal battle, eventually gaining permission to use the name, but it cost them a lot of $$. Why start your business with that potential expense?
  • Posted by Mike Steffes on 12/15/2015 at 8:58 AM Accepted
    Be careful to keep in mind that this is a café with a bicycle theme...rather than a bicycle display with a café. It's the general public who'll be providing your income, probably not bike enthusiasts.

    You want to get started with good food, good service, and a clean establishment. Extend your bicycle theme once you've established your café reputation.

    I would treat the website similarly. Make the theme clear, but remember that people want to enjoy the food too- work on a way to get the theme and the food to co-star.
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