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Dragon Fire sounds Asian. Kitchen Dreams sounds like a kitchen remodeling store. If you name something "Diner" people will have certain expectations. Your vision doesn't sound like a diner to me. Same with the word Grill.

Biggest hint I can give you is that you need to give it a name than people can pronounce. People don't want to look stupid in front of other people, so they'll avoid saying a name that they think they won't say correctly. Better to be Joe's Restaurant than Le Mispronouncian.

If I was going to open a restaurant, I'd call it "Eats." I'll never open one. I don't want to. Feel free to steal the name.

When I think of the names of many well-known restaurant names, they tend to be pretty straight-foward. I think simple is best- something that is easy to recall and something that has longevity, not a name based on any one current trend in food.

Shorten the second name you had to "Kitchen Table." It's simple, and (from my standpoint) it suggests basic, home-style food.

If you want to really emphasize the ecological aspect, you could go with something like "The Green Kitchen." But I don't know if doing something like that would potentially put off people who saw it as just a health food spot.

PS. "Eats" is a very good choice too. It makes me think of "Chow" in SFO.

I live in the shadow of disney world, and my primary customer would most likely be cast members from there--especially the collage program cast, I like the concept of calling it "World Eats" it might work.

while it is true that most of what I have presented is American in origin, Items such as the seared tuna can definitely have an international flair depending on the application of flavor profiles. An Asian style preparation would dip the steak in soy sauce and have a ginger Mandarin orange glaze, paired with stir fried mixed Asian vegetables, to go to another area of the world, Spain, we can do the same steak, but prepare it with cumin and coriander with sautéed onions and roasted red peppers, possibly a little olive topanade, and then serve it with a risotto or couscous, and a lite salad tossed with an olive oil vinaigrette.

Spanicopita comes to mind as an excellent vegetarian appetizer from Greece. terrimesu,lasagna, and several pasta dishes hit Italy square in the heart. from Germany we can see spaetzle and several different sausage dishes as well a borscht

From New Zealand, lamb, from France tartlets, both savory and sweet. from Turkey, I think meze would also make an excellent appetizer and vegetarian at that. Durban chicken would be an excellent dish from the African continent, jerk chicken, from the Caribbean, gilled salmon, from the USA or Canada, and I am sure that I could come up with more, but the idea is to use a few base ingredients like beef, chicken, turkey, pork, potato, bell pepper, and onion, add spices and preparation styles and create foods that can be from all over the world. Very few items require long marinating times, but some require extremely long cooking times. this is World Eats

actually having other perspectives is a huge help, my wife is very supportive but she doesn't think in food, everyone I talk to about my ideas loves them but really don't give me any good feedback, right now I have, If I were to tell them we were opening next month, I would have 2 servers, a line cook a bakery cook, and a manager/special events coordinator. unfortunately no one really wants to help with the nuts and bolts. one of the largest at this time is naming it--absolute cuisine is creative and inspired eats has an definite ring to it., other ideas include simple eats, simple meals, and global eats, none of which really work with what I need. though they are closer than what I had before

Hehe I was thinking about Terra Bistro or something, based on the way you misspelled tiramisu. :) On a bad note, someone could call it "Terra-ble" as a joke -- sorta like we lovingly call Taco Bell, "Taco Hell," and Little Caesar's, "Little Sleazers."

Wait, what part of the country are you in, so we know the general populus' language or familiarity of certain languages? Not talking about calling the place some hardcore foreign word, but if you use certain words that could mean something really negative in another language that's predominant, or the flipside.

tasty savories has an interesting ring to it

@gutreactions, I have considered that, which is why I am cautiously working toward being able to open, I have a full time job which pays the bills, and if I wanted to just pay the bills, I would just sit back and keep chugging along. I have the need to be challenged, which opening my own business will certainly do. It really has taken me years to determine what I really want to do with my life, each time I return to the food industry, I continue to learn and love working with food, so I am pursuing that dream.

one of the reasons I need a name is in order to create the buzz necessary to open the first real part of the business, an on-line store to generate startup capital.

I do have some money and I need to use it to make more money. that is why I am being patient, I know these things don't happen overnight. Everything I will be doing from now on has the singular purpose of opening this restaurant. while

finding the name is important because it will create an identity, but you should definitely seek out the advice of successful restaurant owners.... there is so much to learn.... better if you don't learn it the hard way (like i did once).... dreams and reality, while their paths need to cross, are two different things.

I would drop any international sounding words from the title. To me it looks like a very American menu, in that we use flavors from around the globe - but it doesn't necessarily result in authentic international cuisine. For example, using soy sauce doesn't necessarily make something asian anymore, just as using key lime juice doesn't make something Floridian (not to sound flip). If you have a name with an international implication, customers may be expecting a new experience and they may be disappointed to see items they already know.

It might be stronger to not even refer to the type or variety of food in the title. Eats is a good one. Others:

The Supper Club
Table
Bistro (I think bistro implies quality, but doesn't have to mean French anymore. Not since Three's Company anyway)

sounds like your going to be spending more energy than the typical restaurant owner on greening/locavoring your place. that is something you really, really, really need to brag about, or you will just be another neighborhood joint. i suggest a name that reflects your green/locavore/local sourcing/small carbon footprints, that way customers ask about the name and employees have an easy opening to talk up the social green-ness of the place.

earth
the local
farmers market
sprout
footprints
enter-your-name-here farmer's market restaurant

A couple do's and don'ts

Don't name it something that will be complicated to explain to people. It will be fine the first time you tell a media person about your vision and how the word connotes the...blah blah blah. The thousandth time you explain it to a customer, you won't be so happy.

Don't name it something that people will misunderstand. A restaurant opened in my town, and the name was Terrior. I know what it means, and I've tried to explain it to people, but most folks just say, "I thought it was Terror -- you know, like being very afraid." A name like that might work in a different city where you have enough customers that you can afford to frighten some away just because of the name.

Don't name it something too long. Use a tagline or subtitle if you need to, but a short, catchy name is better than something long and cumbersome.

If the short catchy name doesn't immediately scream "Restaurant" to people, add the word "Restaurant" to the name or use some sort of tagline that tells people that this is indeed a restaurant and not a deli or appliance store. Nothing irks me more than driving by a business and seeing the name and having absolutely no idea what the place does or if I want to bother stopping in there. You'll lose a lot of drive-by traffic if you don't have a name that tells people enough about the place for them to be willing to park the car.

If you have windows in front of the place and people can see in, that helps get across the idea of what sort of business it is, but if someone's thumbing through a phone book, the name has got to tell them enough for them to look a little further. People are willing to do a little research, but they aren't going to dig too deep if they're hungry. Joe's Italian Restaurant tells them everything they need to know. On the other hand, a place called "Earth" could be a fossil shop or a shoe store or a gardening supply place. Add a tagline line like "Local foods cooked fresh daily" and suddenly it makes sense.

As far as the cooking local foods -- it's a good idea now, it's trendy, but is that going to be true in 3 or 5 years? You might be better off playing that up on the menu, where appropriate, but downplaying it in the name. Because you might find yourself falling in love with olive oils from spain and spices from India and cheeses from Italy, and that doesn't mesh well with the idea of local sourcing. Point out the local foods on the menu, for sure. But don't wedge yourself into a niche that might not work out in the long run.

@dragonfiregrill: best of luck to you. I'd like to add a "do" to dbcurrie's list:

DO get a professional editor/ proofreader for menus, business plans, press releases, etc. I'm sure you just dashed off some of your responses quickly, but I immediately noticed misspellings on the following words:

chowder
college
spanakopita
tiramisu

I hope you have much success in your venture.

@kerosena I will have to agree that my spelling is atrocious, and a copy editor would make my life much easier, it would also be helpful if the spell checker had some of those words included :)

thank you for your support, I will need all that I can get in the time ahead

I would be shopping for a trailer and you can make some excellent deals on Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge pickups right now, but far be it from me to give too much advice on such a venture. You know who you need to talk with if you can? Todd Mohr. He has already been down the path you are contemplating.

what do you think about "Savory Thyme Eatery"?

Pangea Eats?

GOM hit on something, and this is just a bit off from that.

Basically, make a random word generator, but more customized. Write one word per index card to describe your restaurant / dream. Ask family and friends to do the same.

Then pick out the ones you really like. Oh and you can go online and search for synonyms of words you like.

String them together, mix and match, turn them upside down, shake it all about.

I like savory and thyme, "Thyme" as a name just seems too simple, how about "Savory Thymes" I still like "Grilling Sage"

my wife just suggested I use the name to my group "Grilled 2 Perfection"

Where are you located? City, state, region... Name (first/last- doesn't have to be your real name, just give us a first initial for each) ..need "trigger" words for more ideas.

Heartland's Heaven Cafe
Splendid Supper Cafe
Papa's Kitchen Spot

Down Home Cafe & Grill
Jimmy's Down Home Cafe & Grill

Delicious

Savory Thymes

Avoidavoidavoid any name that sounds like your restaurant belongs in a mall food court. "Savory Thyme" and it's variations sound just like that. I'm just sayin.

Is there something about the location/environment that could give you a name? My favorite place in Richmond is called "The Corner". It's the only restaurant within a 3 block radius in a residential neighborhood and right on the corner. So it's what everyone was calling it anyway.

Hmm kitchen space, some times you can rent it from other resteraunts but you'd have to work odd hours. Or sometimes there are companies that rent out kitchen areas.

Fast n Fresh Cafe

I guess the "Dragonfire Grill" was discarded because it sounded too ethnic, and I still like the suggestions that @therealchiffonade made way back near the beginning of this thread, but believe it or not, last night, my eyes suddenly flew open in the middle of the night, as "The Bonfire Grill" popped into my head - it sounds more American, somehow!

Bonfire Grill is cool.

Not a fan of Savory/Thyme names. They sound fussy or gimmicky. It sounds like a stuffy restaurant that you'd visit with your grandma. (Sorry, Nana).

I also Like Jimmy T's Cafe & Grill. Simple. Evocative. Sounds like a fun place.

@ nightmoon, I like all of those suggestions

@bareneed Bonfire Grill is cool, but it makes me think of the beach, not really thinking about beaches and seafood, but i do like it

I was thinking about Jimmy T's Country Corner Cafe or C^3 Cafe

Jimmy T'z

purely taste

I have opened two restaurants, one in Mount Dora and the other in downtown Orlando. Both named after me !!! Simple. How about It's Thyme to eat at Jimmy T's, people like to know the owner. Jimmy T's Kitchen. Simple.

I have opened two restaurants, one in Mount Dora and the other in downtown Orlando. Both named after me !!! Simple. How about It's Thyme to eat at Jimmy T's, people like to know the owner. Jimmy T's Kitchen. Simple.

How about Down Home? Or Down Home Cookin'

Ok, I'm going to despense the advice that I pretty much give everyone going into a new venture. Take the first step, first pick 5 places that you would like to model, they don't have to be your idea to a "T" but close, then just interview the owner. In the interview you don't care about the good stuff, what you want to know is all the bad stuff, 5 mistakes they made and the top 5 things they would have done differently. After all you will not get any cosmic brownie points for reinventing the wheel, just out of business.
Next -Do The Job- Find a non-profit that has a kitchen that accually feeds people, or you can ask to work for someone as a student in a resturant for a month. The key here is to expose your self to the "real" workings of a food establishment before you do anything.
I know people like Oprah tell you to just go out there and follow your "dream" and by magic it will all just work out. I'm not being a kill-joy but try and remember - life is not a Disney movie. Oddly at this time I think your idea is great. But to bring and idea into the real world you need real world solutions.
Oh! how about "Just Food"

I haven't read all the other comments, so someone else may have already suggested these names:
Comfort Food
Next Door

Looking at your menu does not make me think of home cooking. It is very eclectic. A lot of people who like to cook think they can open a restaurant, but let me ask you, do you know anything about running a restaurant? Have you ever worked in one? How about running a business? I certainly hope so, or finding the right name is the least of your problems.

I am personally really drawn to the names with just a single word. My favorites of all the suggestions are Eats, Hearth (shortened from Hearthside Cafe), and Plate --> simple, to the point, suggests down home comfort food, wallet-friendly menu, and also sounds rather modern. I also liked Comfort Cafe for the alliteration.

I am a Disney Vacation Club owner, and on the discussion boards I belong to, people are always talking about reasonably-priced off-site restaurants near WDW that aren't just another chain restaurant they can find in their hometowns. I understand your desire to cater mostly to local customers, but please don't completely write-off WDW visitors!

Best of luck with your venture. :)

Some suggestions:
- Harvest Thyme
- The Periodic Table
- Hearth
- Aliment

Keep it as simple as possible, like Pams or Jakes or Toms. And I would'nt add "Place". Dave

My suggestion: Shut Up and Eat! never use the word tasty.. I hate that word. Keep it simple. My old place was Tea and Symphony. It was an after-movie type place and had some live music, hence the play on words.
Good luck!