With so many Italian restaurants around, it is important to choose a good name in order to make an impact on your target market if you’re about to start one.

Unless you’re a naming guru with experience in branding, you probably haven’t got a clue about what it takes to come up with a memorable name that’s oozing with creativity. Sure, you know a cool name when you hear it, but trying to think of one is a lot more challenging.

To infuse meaning (and hence relevance) into the name, it should be constructed around your upcoming restaurant’s main selling points or any elements that are unique to it. You should be able to use the name as a starting point to share the story behind the business.

In terms of naming styles, there are plenty of options you can use, and the best way to get a better idea of what’s possible is to take a look at a list of names.

As you can see from the following 28 names of Italian restaurants, it’s possible to create an awesome name using a variety of methods:

1. Verde on Smith – Combine an Italian word with the location
2. Frankies 17 – Numbers make a name unique
3. BINO Brooklyn – You can’t go wrong with 2 words starting with the same letter
4. Bocca – Single word brand names are classy
5. Crispo – Try to find a cool Italian word that sounds good
6. Gaia Italian Café – Sometimes it helps to clarify what you are
7. La Giara – Truly one of a kind as a restaurant name
8. L’Artusi – Sophisticated names work well for upmarket places
9. Enzo’s Brickoven – An example of a memorable and meaningful name
10. Pete’s Downtown – Pete may or may not be Italian but better if he is
11. Via Della Pace – If using Italian, try to make it easy on non-speakers
12. Sauce – Brilliantly simple and elegant
13. Circo – Short names are easier to remember
14. Bocca Lupo – Names that bounce off the tongue are fun to pronounce
15. Fragole Ristorante – Ristorante’ automatically makes it Italian
16. La Piazzetta – A cleverly made up name that’s awesome
17. Paprika – There are lots of advantages of keeping it simple
18. Cucina Di Pesce – Try not to make the name too much of a mouthfull
19. Mozzarelli’s – Adapt a popular word to create a memorable brand
20. Luigi’s Pizzeria – If you’ve got a uniquely Italian name, use it
21. Scopello – Easier to spell and pronounce names work best
22. Falai Panetteria – Probably a bit too tricky to remember unless you’re Italian
23. Aroma Kitchen & Winebar – Sounds like it could be any type of restaurant
24. Red Gravy – Instantly gets your attention and makes you remember it
25. Locanda Verde – Not amazingly exceptional, but not bad either
26. Lavagna Restaurant – The name doesn’t always need to be wittily clever
27. Piada – Although it means thin Italian flatbread, you can use it as a brand name
28. Mario’s Trattoria – Use ‘Trattoria’ for an eatery that’s not as formal as a ristorante

Nice mix of different naming techniques right? Now, emulate one of them, or create your own blend of words to come up with a really cool name for your dream place.