I created a basic website for my father-in-laws restaurant, but am not happy with the look anymore. The website host is an outdated provider, and the templates available through them aren't exactly modern or cool. I was thinking of going with a blog or other CMS (like joomla) but am not sure if that is the right way to go for a restaurant. I don't need or want anything too fancy or complex, just a cool looking 4-7 page site. Template, Blog, CMS, what should i go with? Will pay someone $20 who can find me a cool solution and install it or help me install it.
IMO, I think you should use a template - but when you say template, what do you mean? It may be best to just design your own look, if you know how. Most of the stuff will be static information, so you can code it in HTML if needed, or possibly use Dreamweaver to create it.
For that type of business just go for a basic website templates. You don't need to use blog or cms. For a business, it is the best choice if you can go for a custom made design. Make you business appearance more unique from the rest. I bet you can get a good high quality designs here in DP. Just post your offer at Contest section at BST thread. If you still want to go for a templates, take a look at template monster, they have many high quality design for restaurant website: http://www.templatemonster.com/category/cafe-and-restaurant/ Another alternative is: http://www.dreamweaverresources.com/hotel-templates/index.htm If you find their price is too high, just go for this one: http://www.basictemplates.biz/servlet/the-957/website-templates-food-restaurant/Detail Hope it help you. Thanks.
If you get a template, get one that's not written in a steaming pile of code. : ) If the restaurant has a special look or feel about it, or the name outside is in special letters, I would go for making the site look like an online version of the restaurant itself. If the restaurant is "Hole In The Wall Greasy Spoon" then that's not going to work. Check out www.deblauwehoed.nl It's a steaming pile of (Frames!) code, but the idea is that this restaurant is known/prides itself on being on the water (the Linge river) so they have lots of photos and design around the river (and next to the restaurant is a harbour). The inside also looks pretty cool (we had our wedding there) with wooden floors and "presentational" food (meaning it looks good on the plate) so of course the most of the pictures there are of the interior and the food. They also have a veranda/balcony/terrace thing upstairs and this is also part of the web design. Find what make's his restaurant HIS and special and try to capture the taste and feel on the website. Generic templates are a last resort I think. You only use one because there needs to be a site with information. Designs in templates are usually pretty bland and sad (though not all, of course).
Duh, I shoulda looked at the website! See that photo of the sign outside? Get a better one of it, and make it a large image (or a close-enough font) at the top. What does the inside look like? What kinds of tables, countertops, floors? What do the menus look like? You could either design the site to look like the menu (images pon each side, text in the middle) or a bit like the restaurant itself. Is it kid friendly? Or partially kid friendly? Parents may go to the site to see if it is. I couldn't really tell, except I saw Woody Woodpecker : ) If it's considered a "family" restaurant with a kids' menu, have Woody Woodpecker at the bottom of the page maybe by a kids' section (stating that "We have a kids' menu like this and that and this other stuff") while the rest of the site can focus on the food and location. The photos of the burger etc are great. Keep them, but instead of just having them sit in the middle of the page, they could be elsewhere (like maybe framing some food info). Some things to think about. But I would really get that sign on the site bigger. That's what people see first when they're coming down the highway. Having your <h1>header</h1> covered by that big old-fashioned text would be great.
I suggest you use Wordpress. Coz for a restaurant it will be suitable, and you can just update a few things, and keep the site Updated everyday.
First of all, I would like to point out that woody woodpecker is a registered character(or at least it was) so you might get in trouble if you put him on your site. As for the design, go through google to see what other restaurant sites are like. Study them to get a better idea of how restaurant looks like. For the full menu, I think it would be best for you to just type out the menu to the site, the scan looks blurry. Keep the design constant throughout the page. I noticed that on the homepage you used tables on one part, and then just got rid of them altogether. If you get rid of the border on the tables, it would like a lot better. The part that says "Howdy---Welcome to Woody's. We have Fresh Food, Friendly Folks, and "Toss'em on the Floor" Peanuts." should be inside the white border. As it is right now, it doesn't look good at all. Put it inside the banner or below your navigation links. Hope this isn't confusing.
You won't be needing any CMS for 4-5 pages website I think. But if you do need. I suggest you take a look at CMSMadeSimple