Uncle Steve Lewis in Goodnight Mr. Lewis goes over the process of searching for a name for your nightclub/restaurant:

"In almost all cases, clubs, restaurants, bars and lounges share some of the same problems in getting open. Besides finding a space, raising the money, bringing in the players and navigating bureaucratic hurdles, it is the always exhausting to search for a name. Names are found off Google, shampoo bottles and in books by Blake, Shakespeare and Hunter S. Thompson. Mother’s maiden names are revealed, hip movies are watched and lists of ancient or foreign clubs perused. The search for a name means 3am texts with names that seem perfect in dreams. Marquee was called Select until about a week or so before it opened. The process is all consuming and sometimes ends with Twilo or Mr Fuji’s Tropicana or Life or 1OAK. Life was a great name that I had stored for years. My pal Kelly Cole, reminded me of this as we grabbed a Bleeker Street boite: “Butter was gleaned from a customer who brushed against my new Gucci leather and said “BUTTER.” It was a eureka moment that got her a bottle of champagne.” Plaid was universally considered a horrible name, but looking back to the generation of hipsters that ended up wearing nothing but plaid, I think the moniker wasn’t the problem with that joint. Spa came from the old school name of candy/newspaper joints like “Gem Spa.” I always have lots of places looking for names. Any ideas? And don’t get fresh- Fresh has been used already."