Menu Creation for a Local Restaurant

In this fast-paced world, acts of kindness can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. But when a local business owner went above and beyond to help my Grandparents find a place to live before the winter months hit, I was so excited to stumble upon a way to give back.

Shortly after he had helped my family in such a way that would be hard to repay, I found out that he had to buy back a restaurant that had previously been in his family for some time after the new owners he sold to changed their mind about being in the restaurant business. I went in for breakfast to show support and check out his new-old restaurant and saw that they needed a menu. I snapped some photos while having breakfast and asked the waitress if they were looking to have a new menu made and if one was in the works yet. She said they needed a re-designed menu but had no plans yet. I took a couple of days, re-designed the menu for them, and then dropped off a couple of copies to them that I had printed at Staples.

Creating a menu is like painting a picture—the design elements must work together harmoniously. I wanted the menu to reflect the restaurant's atmosphere, so I carefully selected colors and fonts and then created an illustration that would match. By incorporating the restaurant's unique local brand throughout the design, I aimed to create a cohesive visual representation that made sense for them and represented their unique place in our community.

Choosing the right fonts and colors was crucial in the menu design for this restaurant. I opted for a combination of clean lines, inviting typography, and colors that reflect a local landmark that represents the name of the restaurant.

Some fun details about the menu design; The name Thread City comes from the textile mills history of the town the restaurant is in. This town has a magnificent (and very large) bridge that has thread spools with frogs (more history from the area) on top of them. I illustrated a photo of one of the frogs on the thread spool from the bridge, dropped the opacity for the background of the menu, and pulled the header and divider colors from an actual photo of the frogs on the bridge! The header color is from the frog's body and the gold dividers are the color of the frog's eyes.

I am so proud of how the menu came out. I am overjoyed that I could contribute to such a remarkable individual who played a crucial role in supporting my family.

Check out the slideshow below to view images of the original menu and the redesign I did.