Neat Burger – Princes Street | London
One of Grey Coffee’s most recent trips took us to London and specifically to Neat Burger. Having discovered this brand on Instagram months back we have been keeping up to date with their social content and learning more about the brand online. Having first engaged with the brand online – like we do with so many brands today – we were intrigued to visit their brand environment and to visit Neat Burger in person and see how this experience compares.
Who is Neat Burger?
Neat Burger is a completely plant based fast food restaurant taking the London fast food and plant based scene by storm. Lewis Hamilton collaborated with The Cream Group’s Charlie Allen and Beyond Meat’s Tommaso Chiabr to develop the Neat Burger brand. Charlie is keen to express that “Neat Burger isn’t a chain designed for Vegans or Vegetarians, it is designed for all – a totally plant-based concept breaking the stigmas of plant-based.” Brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton alongside other recognised investors are championing it’s success and with 4 current sites and 6 planned openings the brand is set to grow exponentially. Sites opening soon include Victoria, Westfield Stratford, Canary Wharf, Bishopsgate, Kings Road & Ealing.
The neat Burger brand is all about being ‘Ethical, Sustainable and Delicious’ This one of a kind restaurant, dubbed as a ‘game changer’ serves a plant based American inspired menu. Their food concept and vision is to have a positive impact on the environment and on people too. Their association with The Eden Projects means that with every product sold a tree is planted somewhere in the world. With a premium feel this brand strives to provide it’s customers a very different fast food experience for all.
Neat Burger – Princes Street | London
The Princes Street site is just off of the bustling Oxford Street, the brand exterior is recognisable from the distinctive branding and shop front design.
The main thing to catch your eye as you come round the corner is the large floral Mural that stands out on the white shop front. This shop front isn’t your typical ‘seen before’ exterior. The attention to details for the facade really helps to set the scene and tell the brand story as soon as you come across it. The prominent green and pink brand colours are used here, not only on the signage but also on the geo floor tiles as well as the small amount of adaptable seating outside. The design of the restaurant windows allows the large globe lighting above the window seating indoors to become part of the overall aesthetic of the exterior too, this has clearly been carefully considered and definitely adds to the brand consistency from exterior through to the interior. There is no doubt here as to what Neat Burger are offering, the brand has made use of their window space to give the customers a clear message as to what the brand stands for as well as what the brand is offering. Their messaging is clear, purposeful yet playful, their current messaging for example says “Planet Friendly” “Plant Based” and “That really good burger place.” Grey Coffee often talks about brand storytelling through a brand’s interior (& exterior) and Neat Burger is a great example of a brand providing a distinctive, considered and ‘on brand’ first impression.
The Restaurant
As you walk into the restaurant, there is no confusion. You instantly know where you are expected to go as the customer. The interior is designed so that you are guided down to the service area by the distinctive difference between the flooring and clearly zoned dining area. With 32 covers upstairs including booth, bar height and window seating; more dining downstairs and a small amount of outdoor seating there are ample dining options in this restaurant. Surprisingly this interior feels bright, airy and open. There is extensive banquette dining seating alongside the left hand side of the restaurant and a large amount of bar height seating alongside the majority of the right hand wall creating a walkthrough down to the ordering bar.
The way you order at Neat Burger is distinctive in itself, as a completely cashless brand all ordering takes place digitally. The ordering process is led by the customer and whilst this sounds daunting the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the process. Approaching the counter you are greeted and welcomed by the staff, with this they then ask if you have been to Neat Burger before, depending on your response they guide you through the menu or make recommendations. The most refreshing thing about this experience is that although it’s technology led it’s completely supported by customer service, the way in which this brand integrates both technology AND customer service is impressive and progressive. The overall ordering experience was painless and enjoyable, the restaurant is clearly signposted so the customer is prompted and guided at every stage, this consequently takes away any anxiety or unwelcome surprises.
The Design
Neat Burgers interiors are very individual, the brand has identified a look and feel that really represents the brand and encapsulates the brand vision. The brand is all about clean, green, burger dreams and full flavour and these key ideas are most definitely identifiable in the interior too. The overall aesthetic is clean, refined and paired back, the colour palette seems directly inspired by foliage and plants and their choice of wall paper and paper goods also represent leafy/foliage designs. Their lighting is energised and their life sized palms really add drama and bring home the natural element of the brand. The feel of the interior is definitely ‘dreamy’ and full of character and this reflects the Neat Burger brand too. Beyond the (many) instagrammable moments and the dreamy aesthetic there is messaging and storytelling of the brand’s bigger mission and purpose woven into much of their design. Each mirror above the bar height seating is bordered with facts and figures regarding the brands impacts and lengths they are already going to to be more planet friendly. In the lower ground dining area there is a huge mural ‘Cleaner greener burger dreamer’ alongside this artwork is the following statistics…
98% less water, 93% Less land, 90% fewer greenhouse gasses, and 46% less energy
These statistics and successes are incredibly important to the brand mission. As a customer this storytelling helps you to feel more connected to the brand and confident that your purchase is responsible as well as being reassured that the brand is genuine and authentic in their efforts for a better planet. This restaurant not only draws the customer in to know more about your brand but it also positively impacts their experience and consequently their loyalty to the brand.
The signage isn’t just there for aesthetic purposes, each and every one genuinely reinforces this Neat Burger message. For example ‘One bite at a time’ refers to the bigger mission that is the environmental impact of meat eating and alludes to the fact that the customer is helping create a better future one step and one ‘bite’ at a time by choosing to eat plant-based in their restaurant. On your way out the restaurant there is a ‘thank you for saving the planet’ mural above the door, yet again this positive reinforcement will encourage the customer to come back and this will no doubt have been part of the brand strategy.
Their marketing is clever, their messaging is purposeful and the brand genuinely seems to be doing everything they can to raise awareness, be responsible and provide memorable customer experiences. The brand clearly values their staff and cares about their customers’ experience, from arriving at the location all the way through to leaving the restaurant. By providing this level of service and experience they are encouraging people to return, to spread the word and to create a bigger and more responsible plant based community and in turn directly impacting the environment.
