Stamp of approval: Chefs and mixologists brand creations
Sharing images of over-the-top dishes and creative cocktails on social media has become the norm. And it’s a genius way for restaurants and bars to gain traction and word-of-mouth marketing. Taking photogenic bites and sips a step further, chefs and mixologists are giving consumers another big reason to post images. They're branding, stamping and etching logos and words into everything from loaves of bread and burger buns to spheres of ice and steak bones.
At Hilton Anatole in Dallas, SER Steak + Spirits’ chef Kevin Spencer serves a Tomahawk with branding on the bone. “The concept for incorporating SER branding into the dish came from an overall desire to provide our guests with a wow factor in every part of their experience, from taste to visual design,” he says. “Satisfied diners are our best form of advertising, so it made sense to incorporate a ready-to-share element that foodies would feel is worthy of their Instagram accounts. It also helps that the sheer size and flavor of our Tomahawk cut of meat, especially topped with creamy pimento cheese, provides a wow-factor of its own!”
Cocktails are a popular item to brand — whether on the actual ice or on garnishes and peels. Zuma, with locations around the world, began branding ice spheres in Dubai in 2011. “We stamp our ice spheres with the Zuma logo as an extension of the cocktail garnish for an extra 'wow' effect [for] our guests,” says Zuma's bar development manager, Jimmy Barrat.
“The customized offering also triggers guest’s curiosity to explore the cocktail menu further and taste our crafted cocktails, which often are perhaps something new for them,” he says. “We love stamping the spheres because they are unique to certain Zuma crafted cocktails which primarily require more time and attention in preparation by the bar team — the stamping is another way of showcasing [our] attention to detail and how much we love what we are doing!”
With an ever-evolving industry, it’s important for brands and restaurants to keep current with trends, and branding is one clever way to do so.
“With such high competition, bar and restaurant teams are constantly striving to be more creative and coming up with different ways to make their mark in the marketplace and establish their brand,” says Barrat. “Customers talk, tweet and Instagram about things that are unique so if you happen to have your brand on that item, then news travels fast.”
Flip through the gallery above to find out where to get your hands on branded cocktails and dishes around the world.