Trade Talks looks at branding in the world of the ever changing restaurateur
By Kristen Oliveri

Photo courtesy of Bullfrog & Baum

In a world where you’re nobody until you’re on TV or have become a social media sensation, keeping street cred amongst chef peers while satisfying diners’ need for celebrity chef status that validates and/or enhances their experience in your restaurant(s) is no easy feat.

What is easy is to get lost in the shuffle if you don’t hone your business to create a brand with mass appeal that resonates in the market.

At How to Build Your Brand Without Selling Out at Trade Talks 2012, a program conceived of and hosted by hospitality PR firm Bullfrog & Baum (www.bullfrogandbaum.com), in conjunction with the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (www.pbfoodwinefest.com), chefs Daniel Boulud, David Burke, Marc Murphy and John Kunkel talked candidly about the world of endorsements, product lines and the dreaded chain restaurant.

Daniel Boulud, co-owner of the Dinex Group and the chef who most recently opened a restaurant in Toronto, is no stranger to building a brand. “One more is always too many,” began Boulud. He explained that his approach to creating a cohesive and recognizable brand was to name all of his restaurants with his name in the title. While his name is front and center when you call for a reservation the reality of any given dining experience is predicated upon the fact that he crafts each one to be chef-driven with each chef he employs to be totally responsible for managing that individual restaurant.

“I am the brand,” he comments. However, while he understands the need for consistent branding in titles and restaurants, Boulud also recognizes that

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