When it comes to choosing a design company who are established and experienced in the food & drink and hospitality industry, Design M is the number one choice for our many clients in this sector.

They come to us because we design fully functional websites and stylish artwork that enable their UK-based businesses to flourish in a highly competitive online marketplace.

The food & drink and hospitality industry is very broad, and over the years we have worked with many different types of businesses from within this trade, including restaurants & gastro pubs, traditional public houses, bars, boutique London hotels, Sussex vineyards and international coffee traders, to name but a few.

It is this diverse experience which enables us to understand the various needs that are quite specific to businesses within this fast-paced industry, and in particular the importance of front-end user experience.

There are requirements such as pages optimised for fast loading times, image rich galleries and fully editable blog and news areas to enable you to keep your customers up to date with events and offers. Reservation calendars and booking forms are also needed, of which there is much choice available. Some basic versions can come built into a WordPress website; others can use additional widgets and booking scripts for more advanced features. Options can include date selection, time slots, a specific table choice, number of guests, and room bookings, all of which can easily be managed by the business owner in real time.

Website menus can be classic and simple or stylised to look more like a handheld menu, with linked sections or separate pages for different courses, and there can be online versions or printable PDFs (or both!).

The primary objective when building websites for the food & drink and hospitality industry is making sure the steps taken to reach booking options are minimal and quick – which is where effective call-to-action is essential.  And the responsive elements of a website design need to be optimised for a smooth online journey whatever device is being used.

So whether you’ve a restaurant, cafe, hotel, B&B, club, vineyard or another type of service business and you’re a new start up or established trader, we can help you excel online within the competitive food & drink and hospitality scene.

Hospitality Industry Case Studies:

www.thegreyhoundsydenham.co.uk
A traditional public house based in Sydenham.
This old historic pub had ended up in a bad way after many years of neglect and so the new owners had it fully refurbished to its former glory and more. To reflect this new image, they contacted us to design them a beautiful website to complement the final refurbishment. Their website is stylish and modern yet still contains elements of the traditional (such as the vintage tile graphics used throughout). They have classic menus which are easily editable and an integrated ‘design my night’ booking form so customers can request a table reservation.

www.nynelounge.com
A cocktail bar located in Bexleyheath.
This popular cocktail bar needed a website to reflect its trendy image, and the most obvious feature is the full-screen video background on the homepage, complete with music (and a sound on/off function). This works well to create a strong party atmosphere and give the customer a taste of what is to come if they visit the Nyne Lounge for a great night out. The website also has five different table reservation options, with a form on each page, an events page and an integrated 360 degree Google facility.

Additional Examples:

www.helloburger.co.uk
A burger and cocktail restaurant based in Sidcup and Hayes.
Initially when we designed this website, Hello Burger was a new independent start up. Since then, they have gone on to become an established and award-winning business, and a website redesign was required to incorporate an additional restaurant premises.

www.theoakbromley.com
A traditional, family-friendly gastro pub based in the London Borough of Bromley.
Features classic-style menus and an extensive gallery.

www.thehorseandgroomwilmington.com
An award-winning pub located in Wilmington, Kent.
This website has a table reservation form (including date, time and number of guests), and both online menus and printable PDF menus.

www.carr-taylor.co.uk
A vineyard producing fine English wines, located in Sussex.
Features an online ecommerce shop for their wine products.

www.taylorshroff.com
Producer of international fine wines and spirits, located in Sussex.
An informative website with a catalogue feature.

www.montagu-place.co.uk
A boutique hotel located in London’s West End.
With a promotional video on the home page and call-to-action ‘book now’ facility.

www.equatorialtraders.com
International coffee supplier, based in Harrow.
An information-rich website.