Marketing
10 Strong Restaurant Mission Statements & Why They Work
March 29, 2024
Find out the key to an effective mission statement, plus read an analysis of standout examples from real restaurants.
Why did you decide to open your restaurant? What gets you up in the morning? These are foundational questions that guide you towards crafting your mission statement.
Even though it can take time to determine a mission that feels like the right fit, clearly defining it is crucial for your restaurant to be successful. A mission statement is your north star — your guiding light — and without one, it becomes difficult to make certain business decisions.
Read on for insight from hospitality experts on the importance of deciding your mission, ten examples of mission statements to inspire you, and a simple exercise to try.
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Why Your Restaurant Needs a Mission Statement
“A well-crafted mission statement serves as the guardrails for the brand,” said Chris Patterson, Co-Founder of Navigator Consulting. “It sets the direction for management and leadership decisions. It tells the chef what the feel of the menu should be, and it sets the tone for how employees treat each other and how everyone treats the guest. It holds everyone accountable (including ownership) to the goal.”
Ultimately, you’re sharing what’s important to you, and that can guide how you interact with three main stakeholders: diners, staff, and your community.
For Diners
A good mission statement lets diners know what to expect from your restaurant and ideally attracts customers that share similar values. Creating that emotional connection helps build loyalty too. Your mission statement should live on your website so that it’s easy for potential diners and return customers to find. Pages like Our Story or About Us are good spots to place the statement, or you can have a dedicated page that covers your mission, vision, and core values. Field & Main in Marshall, VA places theirs at the bottom of their Our Team page.
For Staff
Mission statements also support employee alignment and give your team a sense of purpose and direction. It’s a guide on how they should be conducting themselves each day. An article from Nation’s Restaurant News makes the case that a clear mission statement can improve staff retention, too. When staff members understand the restaurant's mission, they are more likely to work towards common goals and deliver consistent hospitality experiences to customers.
“Once you have a good statement, it needs to become a living part of your company culture and regularly deployed in the actions of the team,” added Patterson of Navigator Consulting.
One tip is to include your mission statement in your employee handbook to make it easily accessible.
For Community
Centering community is important to many restaurants, whether that looks like sourcing local ingredients, supporting charitable causes, or providing employment opportunities to traditionally under-resourced demographics.
Your mission statement can outline the commitments you’re making to your community and provide details on how social responsibility is integrated into your business. It can also be a guidepost for how your restaurant responds to local, national, and global events.
For example, there’s a line in the Aplós mission statement that reads, “Our dedication to sustainability and community engagement reflects our desire to contribute positively to the neighborhoods we call home.”
Because Aplós states that community engagement is a core part of its mission, it makes sense for the restaurant to raise funds for a local organization and post about it on their social media.
10 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples
As a general guideline, mission statements should range from one sentence to a full paragraph. The best ones are specific and don’t use generic or overused phrases. They should also be motivating — you want to inspire the three key groups outlined above and anyone who interacts with your restaurant. But above all, your mission statement must be true to your brand. Here are ten examples of restaurants that stand out.
1. the girl & the fig
Mission Statement
To sell delicious food & drink that meets the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality and also combines innovative styles of cooking. To consistently provide our customers with impeccable service by demonstrating warmth, graciousness, efficiency, knowledge, professionalism, and integrity in our work.
To have every customer who comes through our doors leave impressed by our restaurants and excited to come back again. To create and maintain a restaurant that is comprehensive and exceptional in its attention to every detail of operation.
To provide all who work with us a friendly, cooperative and rewarding environment that encourages long-term, satisfying growth. To encourage a caring environment in which every staff member feels respected by each other and treats each other the way they want to be treated.
To keep our concept fresh, exciting and on the cutting edge of the hospitality and entertainment industry. To be a giving member of Sonoma County and to use our restaurants to improve the quality of life in the Wine Country. Do our work with love and a smile, it will show!
Why It Works
This mission statement speaks to all of the important stakeholders for a restaurant: customers, staff, and community. The language makes it clear that the restaurant follows a customer-centric approach and references how their team works to support guests.
Additionally, the environment and culture that the restaurant is aiming to create is outlined in detail as well as how the restaurant plans to show up in their local community. Ending the statement with the encouragement to do work with love and a smile reinforces a positive attitude and suggests that the restaurant values joy, passion, and enthusiasm.
2. Mighty Quinn's Barbeque
Mission Statement
The approach is simple: source the best quality ingredients we can and donʼt fuss with them too much. We cook our barbeque the old school way with plenty of wood and time, adding just the right amount of salt and spice to let that lovely marriage of process and product evolve into something transcendent.
Why It Works
This statement conveys the restaurant’s philosophy on cooking method and ingredient sourcing, giving insight into what they value. The language is straightforward and easy to understand — like “don’t fuss with them too much” — and there’s no jargon.
Phrases like "lovely marriage of process and product" and "something transcendent" add a touch of evocative language to the mission statement, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement about the dining experience.
3. Aplós
Mission Statement
We embrace a mission of inclusivity, celebrating diversity in both our workforce and the flavors we bring to the table. Our dedication to sustainability and community engagement reflects our desire to contribute positively to the neighborhoods we call home.
At Aplós Simple Mediterranean, we don't just serve meals; we cultivate memories, foster connections, and ignite a sense of shared joy in every bite. Join us in this culinary journey where the fast, the fresh, and the fun coalesce to create an experience that is uniquely ours, yet belongs to everyone who walks through our doors.
Why It Works
It’s clear that Aplós values equality, and there’s multiple mentions of how that takes shape in both their team and their food. The use of inclusive language, such as "join us" and "belongs to everyone who walks through our doors," reiterates a welcoming atmosphere and further illustrates the interest in customers to be part of the restaurant's community.
4. NAYA
Mission Statement
We seek to provide authentic, fresh, and nutritious Middle Eastern meals that look great and taste amazing.
Consistency is key to our success; we commit to delivering excellent service and quality to our customers in all of our branches, all day.
Our team is at the core of our success and the key to our growth. We promote a healthy work environment where each individual feels invested and happy to give their best.
Why It Works
A short and simple sentence kicks off this mission statement and sets clear expectations about the type and quality of food the restaurant serves. The second sentence is all about values — specifically consistency and quality — and how high standards will differentiate the restaurant from other establishments playing in the same space. Lastly, the final paragraph centers their team in the mission and demonstrates a commitment to employee satisfaction and well-being.
5. Fire by Forge
Mission Statement
We provide job training and food access through sustainable social enterprises, empowering people to improve their lives.
Why It Works
The statement is clear and concise, articulating the purpose in a way that’s easy to remember. In just one sentence, you can understand why the restaurant exists and also the core values: social impact, sustainability, and economic empowerment.
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6. Bluewater Grill
Mission Statement
To serve great food in a casual, relaxed environment by friendly and knowledgeable people at a fair price.
Why It Works
The restaurant’s value proposition — what they’re promising to deliver to their customers — is the focus in this succinct and direct mission statement: offering great food at a fair price. In less than 20 words, Bluewater Grill establishes standards about their ingredients, service, and cost.
7. Smitten Ice Cream
Mission Statement
Craft the freshest ice cream experiences to spread JOY.
Why It Works
Here, Smitten Ice Cream has distilled their mission statement down into one super clear sentence. It follows a formula of: verb (craft) + descriptive noun (the freshest ice cream experiences) + to + verb (spread JOY). The simplicity of the statement is what makes it work so well — there’s no fluff or filler, just easy to understand language with an emotional appeal.
8. fresh&co
Mission Statement
our mission is to create fresh, creative and healthy meals that excite the mind, heart and palate. our menu, farm, local partners and community roots are what make us different and with locations all over new york city, we are committed to connecting people to real food.
Why It Works
fresh&co spells out their competitive advantage in their mission statement (“our menu, farm, local partners and community roots are what make us different”). Additionally, the restaurant’s intent is well-defined (“to create fresh, creative and healthy meals”), and the objective is clarified one step further with the descriptive phrase “excite the mind, heart and palate.”
9. Honest Mary’s
Mission Statement
Honest Mary’s exists to improve our community through life-giving fast food. Our ambition is to help our guests and team become the best version of themselves through nourishing food, authentic kindness, and genuine care for their well-being. We want to set a new standard for restaurants by making healthy food enjoyable and accessible, and genuinely helping people grow. In other words, we're so much more than a meal. Join us on our journey to provide healthy, delicious, and convenient food options to communities everywhere.
Why It Works
Honest Mary’s values-driven mission statement starts off with their purpose — “improve our community through life-giving fast food.” The phrase “life-giving fast food” is particularly interesting because diners can immediately understand and picture what to expect from this restaurant: quick yet nourishing food where convenience is prioritized without sacrificing quality.
10. Tartinery
Mission Statement
QUALITY AT HEART
We are committed to provide New Yorkers with the best. From local ingredients to attentive service, quality is at the heart of everything we offer. For us, casual does not equate to lower standards.
FRENCH-ISH LIFESTYLE
We want New York to discover a French way of living through food and drink by way of tartine as our main dish, and a wine list paying homage to French craftsmanship.
RENDEZVOUS DAY-TO-NIGHT
Our menu and space bring people together from breakfast through dinner, with sharable dishes, and a qualitative wine & spirits list offered in a welcoming, unhurried ambiance.
Why It Works
Tartinery’s mission statement is broken down into three sections, which makes it easier to remember for both staff and diners. The section headers are uniquely phrased and feel specific to the concept. The larger descriptions underneath each section expand on the key points and provide additional context. New York/New Yorkers are mentioned throughout, so it’s clear who the target audience is. Overall, this mission does a good job of stating what they aim to do (“provide New Yorkers with the best,” “bring people together,”) and how the restaurant will do that (“by way of tartine as our main dish,” “with sharable dishes, and a qualitative wine & spirits list offered in a welcoming, unhurried ambiance”).
How To Write Your Restaurant Mission Statement
When it comes time to writing your own mission statement, it might feel intimidating to get started. Take inspiration from the examples above, then follow the exercise below.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to kick off your brainstorming:
Who is your ideal customer?
How is your restaurant different from your competitors?
What are the five core values of your restaurant?
How do you see your restaurant within your community?
What are the goals of your restaurant?
Once you’ve answered these prompts, you’ll have a better sense of your restaurant’s direction, core values, and goals, all of which guide your mission statement.
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