Microsoft 365 Email Naming Guide for Restaurants Adding a Second Location in 2025

Opening a second location feels a bit like running two kitchens under one brand. If the tickets are not labeled clearly, orders get lost and guests get frustrated. Your email works the same way.

As you add that new spot, a clear Microsoft 365 email naming plan stops confusion before it hits your host stand, bar, or kitchen. Staff know which inbox to use, guests email the right location, and managers keep one stable address while your business grows.

In this guide, I will walk through practical naming patterns that work for two locations today and still make sense when you reach three, four, or five tomorrow.

Why your second location is the perfect time to fix email

Photo by cottonbro studio

When I sit down with restaurant owners, I often see a messy mix of Gmail accounts, nicknames, and half-finished Microsoft 365 logins. With one location, you can sometimes live with it. With two, the chaos doubles.

Clear email names help you:

• Keep staff and managers on the same page
• Route guest emails to the right team fast
• Look professional to vendors, landlords, and catering clients
• Support Small Business IT, Restaurant POS Support, and Kitchen Technology Solutions without guesswork

Microsoft shows how a branded business email builds trust in its own overview of professional business email addresses. Your naming plan is the next step that keeps that trust as you grow.

The three parts of a Microsoft 365 email identity

Before choosing patterns, I like to separate three pieces that matter for microsoft 365 email naming:

1. Sign-in name (username)
   This is the address staff type to log in, like jessica.lopez@rvagrill.com. You want this to stay stable for years, even if Jessica moves from Downtown to West End.
2. Display name
   This is what guests and staff see in Outlook and on mobile, like Jessica Lopez | RVA Grill Downtown. You can update this if someone changes locations or roles.
3. Aliases and shared addresses
   An alias is a second address that points to the same inbox, such as reservations.downtown@rvagrill.com on top of reservations@rvagrill.com. Microsoft explains how aliases work in its guide to adding another email alias for a user.

Once you see these as separate tools, you can keep logins simple, use display names to show locations, and add aliases as you grow.

Naming patterns for staff across two locations

Let me use a sample brand: RVA Grill, with two locations, Downtown and Short Pump.

Pattern 1: Keep location out of the email, use it in display name

Format

• Login: firstname.lastname@rvagrill.com
• Display name: First Last | RVA Grill Downtown or First Last | RVA Grill Short Pump

Pros

• Very simple to explain to new hires
• Staff keep the same email if they move between locations
• Works fine when you reach 3 to 5 locations

Cons

• You cannot tell location from the email address alone
• Some vendors may ask “Which store are you at?” more often

For most restaurants, this is my default choice for long-term Microsoft 365 email naming.

Pattern 2: Add a short location code to the address

Format

• Login: firstname.lastname.dtw@rvagrill.com and firstname.lastname.sp@rvagrill.com
• Display name: First Last | RVA Grill Downtown

Pros

• Easy to spot a location in the address
• Handy for back-office roles like accounting or inventory
• Still works when you add more stores with new codes

Cons

• If someone moves stores, their sign-in may need to change
• Changing logins affects apps tied to that account, like Restaurant POS Support or Cloud Management tools

Pattern 3: Role-based addresses for managers

Format

• Logins for people: Pattern 1 or 2
• Extra role addresses: gm.dtw@rvagrill.com, gm.sp@rvagrill.com, km.dtw@rvagrill.com

These can be shared mailboxes or aliases already pointing to a manager’s inbox.

Pros

• Guests and staff email the role, not the person
• Easy handoff when managers change
• Scales cleanly with more locations

Cons

• Needs basic governance so staff know which address to publish
• Someone has to manage access when people are hired or leave

Here is a quick comparison:

Scheme	Good for	Pros	Watch out for
firstname.lastname@	Most staff at any location	Simple, stable, easy to train	Location not obvious from address
firstname.lastname.dtw@	Staff tied to one location	Location visible in address	Renaming logins if staff move
gm.dtw@ / km.sp@	Managers and key leaders	Role-focused, easy manager turnover	Needs upkeep for access and routing

When I design Tailored Technology Services and Innovative IT Solutions for restaurants, I usually mix Pattern 1 for people plus Pattern 3 for key roles.

Shared addresses that keep guests and staff sane

Shared mailboxes are your best friend once you add a second location. Microsoft has a clear overview of how shared mailboxes work in Microsoft 365, and they fit restaurants very well.

For RVA Grill, I would set up:

• reservations@rvagrill.com for general booking questions
• reservations.dtw@rvagrill.com and reservations.sp@rvagrill.com for location-specific requests
• catering@rvagrill.com for all catering across locations
• jobs@rvagrill.com for hiring
• info@rvagrill.com for general questions

Behind the scenes, I tie these to shared mailboxes or distribution groups in Microsoft 365. Your host team at each store can see only what they need, your owners and directors can see the full picture, and no one logs in with a sketchy shared password.

Done right, these addresses also support Office 365 Migration projects, IT Strategy for SMBs, and Business Continuity & Security, because you are not rebuilding email every time a staff member leaves.

Owners and senior managers: keep one stable identity

If you own or operate the restaurant, your email is on contracts, vendor records, bank forms, and third-party delivery apps. I want that address to be rock solid.

For example:

• Primary login and public address: maria@rvagrill.com
• Display name: Maria Fernandez | Owner
• Optional aliases: maria.fernandez@rvagrill.com, owner@rvagrill.com, operations@rvagrill.com

With this setup, Maria keeps one stable account while we adjust aliases as the business grows. It also gives room for better Endpoint Security, Device Hardening, and Cybersecurity Services on that high-value account, following Microsoft’s security best practices for Microsoft 365 business.

Simple best practices so you do not have to rename later

Here is the short list I use with restaurant clients:

• Keep addresses short and clear. Avoid nicknames, jokes, or random numbers.
• Use your brand domain. No free email services for staff or reservations.
• Pick location codes that scale. City or neighborhood codes like dtw, sp, cary, midlo work well.
• Separate people from roles. People use firstname.lastname@, teams use reservations@, catering@, and so on.
• Avoid personal names in shared addresses. Never use john.reservations@. Stick to roles.
• Plan for security from day one. Tie email naming into Secure Cloud Architecture, Managed IT for Small Business, and Cloud Infrastructure so accounts are protected from the start.

If you are running more advanced Microsoft 365 and Cloud Infrastructure setups, you can even use Microsoft Entra policies to standardize group names, as outlined in Microsoft’s guide on group naming policies.

How a technology partner can help you set this up right

Email naming is a small choice with a big ripple effect. It touches your POS logins, kitchen displays, vendor tools, payroll, and every guest email.

When I act as a Business Technology Partner for restaurants, I usually bundle email planning with:

• Office 365 Migration and Cloud Management
• Data Center Technology and Infrastructure Optimization behind your apps
• Restaurant POS Support and Kitchen Technology Solutions
• Cybersecurity Services, Endpoint Security, Device Hardening, and Business Continuity & Security
• Broader Digital Transformation and Technology Consulting for growth

Together we shape a Microsoft 365 email naming standard that fits your brand today and still works when you open store number five.

Bringing it all together

Adding a second location is the perfect time to treat your inboxes like part of your front-of-house guest experience. Clear, professional Microsoft 365 email naming gives staff simple logins, guests reliable contact points, and owners a stable identity that supports growth.

If you want help designing a plan that ties into Small Business IT, Secure Cloud Architecture, and Managed IT for Small Business, I can walk through your locations, roles, and future plans and turn that into a clean, long-term naming standard. Your brand stays consistent, your tech stays organized, and your team spends more time serving guests instead of hunting for the right inbox.