21 Restaurant Mission and Vision Statements for 2020 (2023)

On the surface, restaurant mission and vision statements are just a sentence or two about why a business exists. They can seem insignificant compared to the daily grind of attracting customers, serving delicious food, and growing your restaurant.

However, these mission statements are important. Defining your restaurant’s mission, vision and values will help guide strategic decisions and can add significant value to your business.

A restaurant mission statement shouldn’t be something you create on a whim. Instead, dedicate some time to thinking about why you are starting—or have already started—your restaurant.

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know to create a mission and a vision statement for your restaurant, as well as show you 21 examples of them in action.

Let’s get started on your restaurant’s mission statement and outline your vision and goals.

What Is a Good Restaurant Mission Statement?

A good restaurant mission statement clearly defines your restaurant’s goals. It also explains why your restaurant exists, and what makes it different.

This will typically relate to the dining experience, how you will ensure absolute guest satisfaction or broader issues like the environment, for example. If you choose to make your mission statement about a broader problem, it works best when it is something that appeals to your target customer.

Here are three mission statement examples:

• Dining experience: Create the best donuts in the world—Krispy Kreme
• Guest satisfaction: Create memorable experiences for everyone—Nando’s
• Broader issues: We believe it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve our oceans and marine life for generations to come—Red Lobster

Don’t Forget Your Vision Statement

Your restaurant vision is similar to your mission statement. It defines where you want your restaurant to be in the future.

When creating your vision, think about what the ultimate goal of your restaurant is. It could be something small like consistently providing exceptional fine dining experiences to guests or something more ambitious like global restaurant expansion.

To write a restaurant mission and vision statement, be specific and unique to your restaurant. They will strike the balance between being optimistic and matching the reality of your restaurant.

How Do You Write a Mission and Vision for a Restaurant?

All restaurateurs have a reason why they opened their restaurant and choose to serve a specific type of cuisine. They should also know what success means to them.

Creating a mission and a vision statement is simply a case of communicating this information clearly and concisely to your restaurant customers.

If your reasons aren’t clear, you’ll have to focus on gathering your thoughts first. To help, The Balance SMB recommends answering these three questions:

• What does your restaurant do?
• How does your restaurant do it?
• Why does your restaurant do it?

These questions will help you clarify why you are in the restaurant business and ultimately, help you write your mission and vision statement.

Creating a vision statement for your restaurant is a similar process to creating a mission statement. Use the content of your mission to consider what success looks like to you. For example, how will your restaurant look in three or five years once you have achieved your goals?

Your mission and vision statements should be linked.

If your mission statement is: “Bring authentic deep-dish pizza to the local area,” your vision statement should be something like: “Be a recognized brand in the local area and the number one place people choose to fill their pizza cravings.”

The final step is to take this information and write it in a way that is likely to resonate with those that read it. Instead of just stating the answers to the questions, spend some time crafting a sentence or paragraph that you are happy with.

You could even consider hiring a professional copywriter to help you with the task. This is especially important if you plan to publish your statements online.

What Are Some Mission Statement Examples?

Here is how the above steps could work in practice. Imagine we’re creating a restaurant mission statement for the owner of the fictional deep-dish pizza restaurant mentioned above.

• What does your restaurant do? We sell the best deep-dish pizza in the area and provide a fun experience for families.
• How does your restaurant do it? Our food tastes great because we use a special tomato sauce recipe that has been passed down over generations and we always buy fresh ingredients. We provide a great experience by focusing on the needs of each customer.
• Why does your restaurant do it? We hope to provide a new and unique dining experience for locals.

This could become the following restaurant mission statement:

At [restaurant name], we create good memories by serving original-style deep-dish pizza using a recipe that has been passed down over generations. Our restaurant provides an authentic dining experience that is unique to the area.

What Are the Core Vision and Values of a Restaurant?

The core values of your restaurant are the beliefs that dictate how you and your team behave. They are beliefs that your business won’t compromise, even if it means a boost in short-term (or long-term) profits.

Core values typically relate to how you interact with restaurant customers, employees, and suppliers. They are different from your mission statement, although they will influence it.

Some typical values include teamwork, service, quality, customer satisfaction, and sourcing sustainable ingredients.

While these are all positive beliefs to have, they sound very generic. When writing your core values, think about how you can make each one unique to your restaurant.

Here are examples:

• Customer satisfaction becomes: Our restaurant strives to become our customers’ favorite place to eat and drink.
• Teamwork and trust become: We provide support for our employees and encourage them to make their own decisions.
• Sustainability becomes: We always source ingredients from sustainable, local suppliers.

Be careful not to confuse core values with aspirational values. These are values you would like to have at your company but don’t currently exist there.

For example, you might value sustainability but if your restaurant doesn’t already source its ingredients from sustainable producers, it is an aspirational value rather than a core one.

You shouldn’t necessarily give up on aspirational values. If you take steps to implement them throughout your business, they can become part of its core vision and values.

Why You Need a Mission and a Vision Statement

Mission and vision statements have different uses depending on who reads them. However, they mainly affect owners, employees, and customers.

The owner and other decision-makers benefit from a mission statement as it helps guide their strategic thinking. When they need to make a choice, they can consider the mission statement and make the choice that fits best. Likewise, they can look at the vision and ensure that any decisions are pushing them towards it.

A mission and a vision statement can help team members find meaning in their work. According to the Harvard Business Review this can result in staff feeling a sense of ownership for their work, which can make them more motivated, engaged, and ultimately perform better.

It also gives customers a reason to eat at your restaurant beyond just delicious food. Consider the Shake Shack mission statement below and its focus on “carefully sourced premium ingredients.” This could be a powerful motivator for people who are conscientious about where the food they eat comes from.

Ultimately, having clearly defined values can affect whether a consumer eats at your restaurant. An Edelman report found that one in two people are belief-driven buyers and that 67% of people have made a first-time purchase due to a company’s position on an issue.

General Tips on Crafting a Statement for Your Restaurant

When crafting your restaurant’s mission statement there are several things you should do. The first step is to read the 21 example mission statements in the next section. This will provide you with a better idea of the type of mission statements you should be aiming for.

Beyond that, try these tips:

• Keep it short. Most mission statements range from a single sentence to a short paragraph.
• Be specific. Don’t waffle about vague goals. Keep your mission statement specific to your restaurant and to the point.
• Keep it grounded in reality. Your mission statement should reflect the service you plan to offer. A fast-food restaurant that offers burgers and pizza shouldn’t talk about trying to help customers lead healthier lives, for example.
• Consider customer expectations. If you are already open, thinking about why guests come to your restaurant could help guide your statement.
• Don’t limit yourself. If your statement talks about providing the best tacos in the area, be sure you aren’t planning to expand to new locations or serve different types of food.
• Consult employees. When creating your statement, get a second opinion from employees or business partners. Ask if the statement resonates with them.
• Don’t be afraid to change. If your company goals do change, you can always adjust your statement.

21 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

This next section includes 21 restaurant mission statement examples, as well as some value and vision statements.

Many of the restaurant mission statements are part of a larger ‘About Us’ or story page that delves deeper into the company’s background.

Click the link on each restaurant to find out more about each restaurant mission statement example.

Panda Express

Mission: To deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.

Values: Proactive, Respect/Win-Win, Growth, Great Operations, Giving (the company goes into more detail about each of these on its website).

Shake Shack

Mission: We Stand For Something Good in everything we do: This means carefully sourced premium ingredients from like-minded purveyors we admire and love; thoughtful, well-crafted and responsible design for its place; and deep community support through donations, events and volunteering.

McDonalds

Mission: Our aim is to provide a fun and safe environment where our customers can enjoy good food made with quality ingredients at affordable prices.

Pizza Hut

Mission: We create food we’re proud to serve and deliver it fast, with a smile.

TGI Fridays

Mission: In Here, It’s Always Friday. Each of us bases every decision on what is best for our Guest. We operate as One brand with uncompromising Standards of Excellence around our Credo, our guiding principles, and our Culture of Fun. We deliver on our financial commitments, but never at the expense of the safety and security of our Guest, Team Members, and the brand.

Values:

Whatever you do, do with Integrity.

Wherever you go, go as a Leader.

Whomever you serve, serve with Caring.

Whenever you dream, dream with your All.

And never, ever give up.

Domino’s

Mission: Domino’s is a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world.

Pret a Manger

Mission: To serve freshly made food and good organic coffee, while also trying to do the right thing.

Pizza Express

Mission: Ever since 1965 when our founder, Peter Boizot, opened our first restaurant in Soho, the same Pizza Express values of great food, evocative music, and distinctive design have remained in our DNA. This is one recipe we’ve never changed, and today we take the same pride in offering great hospitality and unforgettable experiences.

Cheesecake Factory

Mission: To create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority.

Vision: Through a shared commitment to excellence, we are dedicated to the uncompromising quality of our food, service, people and profit, while taking exceptional care of our guests and staff. We will continuously strive to surpass our own accomplishments and be recognized as a leader in our industry.

In-N-Out Burger

Mission: Serve only the highest quality product, prepare it in a clean and sparkling environment, and serve it in a warm and friendly manner.

Krispy Kreme

Mission: To make the most awesome doughnuts on the planet every single day.

Arby’s

Mission: Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences.

The Dabney

Mission: Our goal is to showcase the quality and diversity of the ingredients and the wonderful people who raise, grow and produce them.

Logan’s Roadhouse

Mission: We deliver the best guest service experience with a sense of warmth, friendliness and individual pride so that each guest leaves highly satisfied with our great value, convinced that we are the best choice for their everyday authentic Roadhouse, serving quality steaks, a kickin’ bar and upbeat dining experience.

Starbucks

Mission: To inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Values: With our partners, our coffee and our customers at our core, we live these values:

• Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.
• Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other.
• Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect.
• Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.

We are performance-driven, through the lens of humanity.

Dairy Queen

Mission: To create positive memories for all who touch Dairy Queen.

Vision: To be the world’s favorite quick-service restaurant.

Papa John’s

Mission: Better ingredients. Better pizza.

Denny’s

Mission: To serve the best cup of coffee, make the best donuts, give the best service, offer the best value and stay open 24 hours a day.

Red Lobster

Values: Traceable. Sustainable. Responsible. These are more than just words on our menu—it’s our promise that all of the seafood we serve is sourced to the highest standards. Because, as one of the world’s largest seafood purchasers, we believe it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve our oceans and marine life for generations to come.

Waffle House

Mission: To deliver a unique experience to our customers through delivering great food, friendly, attentive service, excellent price and a welcoming presence.

These restaurant mission statement examples should give you a better idea of how to write an inspired restaurant mission statement, and outline your vision for your business.

If you’re interested in restaurant marketing check out our article Restaurant Marketing Ideas: The Top 31 Ideas to Grow in 2020. Want to get your own online ordering system? Click here.