#puckett's

One of my favorites, Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, getting much deserved press for their spot in The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America!

Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant in Leipers Fork-Brand Review

Puckett's has locations in Leipers Fork, Downtown Franklin, and Downtown Nashville. For your home-cooked southern-style food expect to pay around $10 per person, (depending on if you get appetizers or drinks). You can also pick up a few needed groceries while you're there.

Brand expectation: 3.5 Product/Service received: 4 Identity System: 4 Cohesion: 4 Brand quality: 4 Total: 3.9

Why 3.9 Fifes?

Brand expectation: Good, home-cooked southern food at a grocery store/restaurant. Was this met? Yes, but expected more grocery items on the shelves; the store section looked too empty for "grocery" to be in the name.

Product/Service received: Product: Hot ham & cheese sandwich, cheeseburger with fries and sodas. The hot ham & cheese looked and tasted better than one from the skillet at home, but the cheeseburger was just ok. Drinks are choose your size and fill yourself; was not clear if you could get refills. Service: Quick to take your order & waited less than a chain restaurant to get our food. No one checked back to see if we needed anything. There was a line to pay, but it was after we ate. The price was more than we first expected, but it was going to help a local business.

Identity System: The slab serif type paired with the wood-block style, lets you know this place is southern. The black color in the logo means bold, powerful & classic, while brown means simple and durable. The colors support the idea of a simple, small-town lifestyle, before anyone ever steps inside. The chalkboard menu with handwritten food choices, enhances your initial expectations. These design elements carryover to the website. The logo on the website is different than the logo type on the actual store, could be seen as an identity crisis to the customer.

Cohesion: On the two-lane street in Leipers Fork, sits Puckett's Grocery. Driving through the small downtown, you feel as though you have stepped back into a simpler, friendlier time. On a warm Saturday, Puckett's front porch benches and chairs, along with the umbrella patio furniture, are occupied. Might be with locals, motorcycle or classic car enthusiasts. When you open the door, the step-back-in-time-feeling continues. From the chalkboard menu, to mismatched chairs and tables, to the metal freezers and shelves surrounding the back of the store, the interior design enhances your initial expectation of the brand. The shelves & freezers were very bare, so there were not many grocery items to buy. The chalkboard menu did not list what goes on the sandwich, requiring customers to ask. When you visit the website, it complements the interior design of Puckett's, but the logo is different than the signage on the exterior.

Brand quality: Puckett's in Leipers Fork fulfills two needs in the small town; a place to buy basic grocery items and a restaurant. The small town feel carries over into the interior, exterior, identity system of Puckett's and the two different logos. The quality of food and friendly service is a recipe for returning customers. The convenience of a restaurant and grocery in one stop will also keep loyal customers, while the price might keep them from going there everyday. If the lack of groceries on the shelves is a constant problem, it might keep people from stopping when they need to pick up a few items.

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How the brand can improve:

• The styrofoam plates & cups could be replaced with plastic, aluminum or paper with recycling bins around the trash cans, to help the local environment reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill. • The chalkboard menu with handwritten food choices, creates questions for the cook. (for example: What comes on that?) They could have a printed menu with all of the toppings, condiments, etc. that are on the main menu & also include the seasonal items (marking the seasonal ones appropriately)

Reasons for success:

•The handwritten menu allows flexibility; Puckett's can change out menu items frequently based on what is in stock or season.  • The logos: compliment the brand perception. • Good location: on the downtown street in a small town

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To find out more about Puckett's Grocery and restaurant, visit: puckettsgrocery.com

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We would like to hear about your experience at Puckett's. Did it match up to our rating?