Restaurant redesign

St James's Well

Elevating a beloved Irish pub’s digital presence and menu experience

St James's Well is a local restaurant and public house in my local community. It was purchased by new owners who wanted to revamp the website and printed menus. The original website and menu system were outdated, cluttered, and lacked mobile optimization — making it difficult for users to explore offerings, place orders, or engage with the brand.

Challenge & Opportunity

Modernize the digital experience while preserving the restaurants authentic charm. The legacy website and menus suffered from:

  • Outdated visual design and poor mobile responsiveness
  • A mobile version of the site also existed which only worked on certain devices and viewports
  • Fragmented navigation with unclear hierarchy
  • Low menu readability and inconsistent formatting
  • No clear call-to-action for delivery or reservations
  • Limited storytelling around the pub’s heritage and community role
  • No scalable system for seasonal updates or promotions
  • Operational bottleneck — owners and staff couldn’t update menu items or prices without technical skills or basic HTML knowledge, leading to delays and missed opportunities

Goals

  • Create a modern, responsive website with clear navigation
  • Design print and digital menus that are scannable, appetizing, and brand-aligned
  • Improve conversion paths for delivery and event engagement
  • Showcase featured dishes, live music, and sports promotions
  • Build a flexible design system for seasonal updates and specials
  • Implement an easy-to-use menu management system so owners and staff can update items, descriptions, and prices

Design Execution

Printed menus

  • Reorganized structure icon

    Reorganized structure: Clear sections for Sandwiches & Burgers, Entrées, Flatbreads

  • Consistent formatting icon

    Consistent formatting: Item name, description, price — all aligned for easy scanning

  • Visual hierarchy icon

    Visual hierarchy: Bold titles, readable fonts, and spacing for clarity

  • Brand integration icon

    Brand integration: Pub logo, color palette, and photography reinforce identity

  • Callouts for customization icon

    Callouts for customization: Substitutions and add-ons clearly listed

  • Prominent CTAs icon

    Prominent CTAs: Delivery button, social media, and review prompts

  • Scannable QR Code icon

    Scannable QR Code: Added a branded QR code linking directly to the full online menu, which offers larger text, adjustable zoom, and better readability for guests with poor eyesight.

Website (Redesigned)

Key features delivered included:

  • Responsive layout optimized for mobile browsing
  • Homepage hero with delivery CTA and featured dishes
  • Menu preview with “View Full Menu” button
  • Events carousel for live music and football club perks
  • Brand new gallery showcasing featured and most popular dishes and drinks

My role

I led the end‑to‑end redesign of St. James’s Well’s digital and menu experience. This included conducting the initial UX audit, defining the content strategy, and creating the full information architecture for the new website. I designed all low‑fidelity wireframes and high‑fidelity responsive layouts, ensuring the visual direction aligned with the pub’s brand and atmosphere.

On the menu side, I redesigned the entire print and digital menu system, establishing a clear hierarchy, consistent formatting, and a more scannable structure. I also implemented a QR‑code–driven online menu experience with improved accessibility for guests who prefer larger text or zoomable layouts.

Beyond design, I built a simple, non‑technical content management workflow that allowed the owners and staff to update menu items, prices, and specials without needing HTML or external support. I collaborated directly with the owners throughout the process, gathering feedback, refining the experience, and ensuring the final product supported both customer engagement and day‑to‑day operations.

Impact

  • Improved readability and menu engagement
  • Stronger brand storytelling through visuals and layout
  • Increased delivery conversions via SkipTheDishes and Uber Eats integration
  • Streamlined updates for specials and seasonal offerings
  • Positive feedback from regulars and new guests alike

Reflection

This project blended hospitality storytelling with UX clarity. I created a system that’s easy to update, easy to navigate, and true to the pub’s personality — helping St. James’s Well thrive both online and in person.

Project visuals at a glance

The below visuals demonstrate how I transformed the pub’s online presence and menu usability through thoughtful design.

Original website and menus

[interface] interface of ai tool (for an ai saas company)
[background image] image of contact office (for a general contractor)
image of game development process (for a mobile gaming) - conceptualization stage
image of beer tastings (for a craft brewer)

Desktop and Mobile Lo-fi prototypes

[interface] interface of ai tool (for an ai saas company)[interface] interface of ai tool (for an ai saas company)

Redesigned website and menus

[interface] interface of ai tool (for an ai saas company)
[background image] image of contact office (for a general contractor)
image of game development process (for a mobile gaming) - conceptualization stage
image of beer tastings (for a craft brewer)

COMPANY feedback

image of service center (for a auto dealership)

“Richard didn’t just redesign our website and menus — he transformed how our pub shows up to the community. Our online presence had felt outdated for years, and we struggled to highlight what makes St. James’s Well special: our featured dishes, live music nights, and sports promotions. Richard brought all of that to life with a modern design that finally reflects who we are. He also solved a major operational headache. Updating menu items or prices used to require technical skills or digging into HTML. Richard built a system that lets our staff make changes instantly and confidently — a real game changer. Customers constantly tell us how much easier the site is to use, and we’ve seen a clear boost in engagement around food specials, music events, and game‑day promotions. Richard understood our brand, respected our pub’s character, and delivered far more than we expected.”

Owner
St James's Well Pub

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