How to write a brief a restaurant studio will not misread
A good hospitality brief names locations, booking tools, who publishes the menu and what done looks like on a Saturday.
Misread briefs create pretty sites that cannot take a booking. Write the operational truth: covers, rooms, tools, who will update dishes after we leave.
Name constraints. Brand guidelines, photography you already have, a booking contract you cannot leave, a go-live before Christmas.
Show examples with reasons. We like this menu path. We hate this popup. Taste is discussable when it is specific.
Say what done means. Live menu, hours, two locations, OpenTable, allergen filters. Phase two is allowed. Unspoken phase two is how projects sour.
A tight brief is hospitality. It respects the studio and the Saturday you still have to run.
Common questions
- What must a restaurant brief include?
- Number of locations, current site, booking and EPOS tools, who owns allergen accuracy, must-have pages, and launch timing around service.
- What should you leave out?
- Vague vibes without examples, and a request for a PDF menu as the strategy. Show sites you like and say why.