Restaurant Core Values: How to Identify and Develop Them

What does your restaurant stand for? What do you want its legacy to be? How do you want to treat guests and staff? 

The core values of a restaurant aim to answer these critical questions. When implemented strategically, values serve as a north star by guiding business decisions and attracting like-minded staff and customers. 

In this guide to the values of a restaurant, we’re giving you a rundown on what you need to know to establish values and exemplify them through every aspect of your business: from your menu and marketing to your tech and team.

Internally, these core principles help you implement values-based hiring. Unlike hiring just to find someone who has the experience and skills you’re looking for, values-based hiring strives to find someone who also shares your restaurant’s core values. In an industry known for high turnover, values-based hiring helps you find like-minded staff who will stay with you longer because they’re more engaged with their work and teammates.

Beyond hiring decisions, values also guide business decisions more generally. For example, if one of your restaurant’s values is treating animals with kindness, you’ll likely create a vegan menu. If you value sustainability, you’ll probably source ingredients as locally and as seasonally as possible.

Externally, your restaurant’s values help you attract like-minded customers. According to findings by Forrester, 51% of Gen Zers research brands to ensure they align with their values before supporting them financially. When you publish your values, you show customers what you stand for. 

The key to developing the values of a restaurant is to think about what you believe in and what’s important to you.

Brainstorm these critical questions with your team. Then narrow these ideas down to several core values, which you’ll epitomize through everything you do (more on that soon). 

If you’ve already written a vision statement or unique selling proposition for your restaurant, borrow from them while writing your values.

Let these examples of core values from well-known restaurants inspire you and give you direction as you create your own values.

New York City’s Union Square Hospitality Group, founded by famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, has made a name for itself in luxury dining. The hospitality group constantly innovates, such as when it eliminated tips and experimented with paying staff living wages. USHG’s core values are as follows:

“At USHG, what we do (our purpose) is to Extend Enlightened Hospitality, and how we do that is guided by our beliefs:

Spearheaded by celebrity chef and activist José Andrés, Washington, DC-based José Andrés Group’s mission is to “change the world through the power of food.” José and his team work on this mission by living these core values:

Fire & Vine Hospitality is responsible for some of the most iconic restaurants in the Pacific Northwest, including El Gaucho and Aerlume. The restaurant group’s purpose is to “revel in celebrating life.” They do this by embodying the following values:

Villa Restaurant Group, whose national portfolio includes restaurants like Villa, Far East Asian Kitchen and the Black Horse Tavern & Pub, has the following core values:

Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, which is behind New York’s prix fixe Per Se and multiple hotspots in Napa Valley, operates around the following core values:

Fast-food pioneer Chipotle’s values center around its belief that food has the power to change the world. Chipotle’s tagline, “be real,” exemplifies this value. For Chipotle, being real means using fresh food (no freezers, can openers, or shortcuts) and avoiding artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The chain’s bags often boast about its use of “real” ingredients that you recognize and can pronounce.

Beyond food, being real extends to “treating people right.” Chipotle claims to do this by “supporting people who live our values with real culinary training, career opportunities and great benefits.”

Finally, sustainability is part of Chipotle’s values. The chain committed to diverting half of its waste from landfills in 2020, recycles its plastic gloves into trash bags, and publishes an annual sustainability report.

It’s not enough to just write core values and forget about them. Instead, restaurants need to live their values through their culture. This is important for both employee retention and the guest experience.

Integrate your core values into your internal culture through values-based hiring. Doing so will help you find like-minded team members who will be the best fit for your family and more likely to stay with you for the long haul. Publish these values in your employee handbook and exhibit them throughout the onboarding and training processes.

To attract like-minded customers who see your business as a brand, rather than just a restaurant, you need to publish your values on your website and let them guide your branding and marketing strategy. Your values should be the driving force behind every marketing asset, from your logo to every Instagram caption you write.

Core values help restaurants internally and externally. Internally, values guide business and hiring decisions. When published externally, values help restaurants attract like-minded customers who will want to keep coming back for more.

Some popular restaurant core values include maintaining a high level of hospitality, implementing sustainable practices, making a positive impact and being authentic.