Café Name Selection

One of your first decisions is the selection of a name for your café. Choosing your café name
should be a creative process provoking a wide range of thoughts and ideas within your group.
Your name will be how people identify your café and should communicate something about
what you intend to provide. For instance, are you aiming for a high-end image? Perhaps
something trendy? Who is your target customer? What would be appealing to them? Is your
name easy to remember? Does the café name work well in a logo design? These are the
kinds of questions you should be considering when choosing a name.

1. Step 1 – Brainstorming and Competitor Scanning. Your team should come up with five
potential names for your café and list them below. Do not use the names of any
cafes that are in your city / town.
List the five names your group chose:
a. Uncommon Grounds
b. Coffee Shoppe
c. Bean Around the World
d. Amore's Coffee
e. College Coffee

2. Step 2 – Gathering Feedback. The next step is to talk to some of your potential
customers about your choices and see their reaction. Interview at least 5
students or friends who are not in your class. Is your name distinctive and easy
to remember? What image / benefits does it convey? You may want to try out
some marketing ideas that include the name to provide more context for the
interview. List some of the feedback you received about each name. Did any of
the results surprise you?
All of my friends liked the name "Uncommon Grounds" the best because it was catchy, trendy, witty, and memorable. That is the image I'm trying to convey. I'm not surprised about this unanimous like for "Uncommon Grounds" because that was my top pick as well.

3. Step 3 - Your Final Choice. What name did you choose and why? Enter that name in
the start-up decisions in the simulation. Remember that your instructor may rate
the names, which will impact your success in the marketplace. Choose wisely!
I choose the name "Uncommon Grounds" because I felt that it was a nice pun that would stand out from my competitors.