Though 'Kola House' is a restaurant owned by PepsiCo, the food and beverage company behind Lay's, Doritos, and Pepsi, it isn't quite accurate to say that the restaurant is a PepsiCo-branded venture. That's because, to any casual diner entering for a meal, the restaurant gives no indication of being related to PepsiCo at all. Located in Manhattan's upscale Chelsea neighborhood, the restaurant is a chic and sustainable eatery with a menu based around the kola nut (whence the name comes) and no PepsiCo products at all.
Though skeptics might be suspicious of the restaurant's anti-branding, Kola House's head chef, Jon Feshan, was equally skeptical at first. However, he was swayed when he realized that "[PepsiCo] aren't approaching this as Pepsi, they are approaching it as a restaurant. It's not a branding opportunity. They want to have a nice restaurant."
Upscale Kola Nut Restaurants
'Kola House' is a Stylish and Chic Restaurant Owned by PepsiCo
Trend Themes
1. Upscale Dining Experiences - Opportunity for businesses to create upscale dining experiences that are not related to their brand and offer unique menus.
2. Sustainable Restaurants - Disruptive innovation opportunity to create sustainable restaurants with unique concepts and menu offerings.
3. Anti-branding Strategies - Opportunity for businesses to adopt anti-branding strategies to create a sense of authenticity and differentiate themselves from their parent company.
Industry Implications
1. Restaurant Industry - Restaurants can explore the concept of upscale dining experiences with unique menu offerings to attract a niche market.
2. Food and Beverage Industry - Food and beverage companies can consider creating sustainable restaurants to tap into the growing demand for eco-friendly dining options.
3. Hospitality Industry - Hotels and resorts can embrace anti-branding strategies to create unique dining experiences for their guests that stand out from traditional hotel restaurants.