BABŪ is the high-quality fast casual restaurant concept of Hertog Jan Restaurant Group, founded by the culinary professionals behind the legendary two star fine dining experience. The BABŪ brand is renowned for its delicious bunners, unique baked buns with exquisite flavors inspired by locations from all around the globe.
the challenge
Founded as a pop-up concept in 2021, BABŪ quickly became a trendy fast casual brand in the center of Ghent’s vibrant city center for audiences of all walks of life. In order to accelerate growth and lower thresholds, the decision was made to position the uniquely developed bunners as “premium, world inspired burgers” and provide patrons with a upscale street food experience.
the insights
Growth of the concept came to a halt, as visitors perceived the quality buns and the BABŪ brand as a mismatch to each other. Furthermore, positioning the product as a premium burger led target audiences to compare it to other, better known and often cheaper alternatives. BABŪ lacked a crystal clear story, a fitting brand positioning and a restaurant experience worthy of the customers attention and loyalty.
the solution
To better understand the rational and emotional motives of the target audiences, Pavlov consultants took a dive into the bustling, diverse but crowded world of fast casual dining to discover what makes successful brands trendy and turn their visitors into loyal gourmands. To that end, we not only researched relevant competitors in the category, but also conducted field visits and mystery visits. Our analysis reached an illuminating climax during a series of focus studies with relevant groups of potential customers, uncovering their brutally honest opinions regarding the food, the brand identity, the preferred experiences and general understandings of their food consumption behaviour.
These valuable insights were translated into a series of potential brand concepts and stories and pitched to the BABŪ team. The ultimate scenario became the substantiated basis for a brand strategy that put a tantalising story at the center and allowed for the translation in a clear value proposition fit for the unique category in which the brand operates.
Not only was this strategy applied to create a fresh new, stakeholder validated brand identity that better suited the desired image and public perception. It also resulted in a complete revamp of the restaurant’s interior concept and online presence. The somewhat cold and flashy design was replaced by a contemporary style with an classy urban feel, referring to the upscale street food with worldly influences.
