The Real Cost of DIY Branding for Your Restaurant

Dec 9

DIY branding might seem like a way to save money when opening your restaurant, but the truth is it often costs more in the long run. Let’s break down the real cost of designing your brand yourself—and why hiring a professional agency is a better investment.

The Hidden Costs of DIY Branding

Time Wasted:
Branding takes time. Every hour you spend on DIY design is an hour you’re not focusing on your menu, staff, or operations.
Amateur Results:
Unless you’re a trained designer, your DIY efforts will look unpolished, undermining your restaurant’s credibility.
Lost Revenue:
A weak brand fails to attract diners. You could be losing business every day because your visuals don’t inspire trust or excitement.

The Cost of Fixing a Bad Brand

Many restaurant owners who start with DIY branding end up hiring a professional agency to rebrand later. By then, the costs have multiplied because you’re paying to fix mistakes and rebuild customer trust.

Invest Smart, Not Cheap

A strong brand is a revenue generator. When you work with a professional branding agency, you’re investing in your restaurant’s long-term success.

Jaci Lund

Jaci Lund partner, creative director, designer Jaci’s quick wit and native intelligence comes across as soon as you meet her—and carries over to her design, where she fuses fun and sophistication in just the right doses. With a dual focus on creating original branding for new concepts and revitalizing the look and feel of even the most-established brands, Jaci approaches each project with a fresh and thoughtful perspective. While she recognizes the relevance of current trends, she’s hyper-conscious of the fine line that separates “trend” from “fad,” and tends toward more timeless and classic looks for her clients. Before founding Treebird, Jaci was instrumental in growing the design department at Atlanta’s The Reynolds Group, Inc. Through a five-year tenure that saw her quickly ascend to senior designer and then become the company’s first creative director, Jaci worked on design and branding projects with visionaries, entrepreneurs, and business leaders whom she admires greatly and whose own passion elevates her sense of what’s possible through new design, branding, and communication. Jaci has won nine ADDY Awards (and counting) for her design and branding work and has twice been featured in the national design blog “Art of the Menu.” She holds a B.A. in communications from Michigan State University and completed the graphic design program at The Creative Circus, where she also teaches a quarterly course called “Introduction to Creative Thinking.” To see Jaci's previous work please visit jacilund.com.

treebirdbranding.com