Dockside Seafood

eCommerce, Restaurant Sites, Seafood

Status:
Online
Client:
PopMenu
Established:
2025
URL:
docksideseafoodsav.com
Location:
GA, USA
Project Scope:
UI/UX Design, Brand Strategy, Reservation Optimization, Event Integration

Project Overview

Modernizing Savannah's River Street Staple

Nestled on the historic River Street, Dockside Seafood is a beloved destination known for its coastal cuisine and authentic dive-bar charm. However, their digital presence was cluttered and outdated, failing to guide visitors effectively or capture the revenue potential of their bustling happy hour. The owner recognized that to increase in-house transactions, the online experience needed to be as inviting and functional as the restaurant itself.

The mission was to declutter and elevate. We needed to design a clean, minimalistic interface that honored the rustic wood-and-brick aesthetic while acting as a high-performance engine for table reservations and menu exploration, ensuring locals and tourists alike could find their way to a seat at the bar.

Challenges & Goals

The Challenges

User Friction: The previous layout was busy and disorganized, burying critical actions like "Book a Table" and causing drop-offs before guests could commit.

Hidden Value: Happy Hour and daily specials—key revenue drivers—were hidden deep in the site structure, limiting their effectiveness.

Brand Disconnect: Generic typography and colors failed to capture the unique "dive-bar chic" atmosphere of the physical location.

The Goals

Minimalist Function: Implement a "High-Impact" design strategy using a lighter palette (#FBF8ED) to create breathing room and highlight Calls-to-Action (CTAs).

Event Visibility: Bring the interactive specials and events calendar above the fold to drive immediate awareness and foot traffic.

Interactive Polish: Introduce subtle cursor animations and micro-interactions to modernize the user experience without sacrificing the casual vibe.

Strategy & Approach

Phase 1: Dive-Bar Chic Visuals

We moved away from dark, cluttered themes to a lighter primary palette of Off-White (#FBF8ED), balanced by Deep Red (#BF1F2F) and Warm Tan (#E2A972). This trio mirrors the interior’s brick and wood textures. We paired Fredoka (headings) with Pacifico (accents) and Roboto (body) to maintain brand consistency with the new logo assets.

Phase 2: The User Journey

We streamlined the homepage to focus on trust and transaction. Clear hero messaging is flanked by prominent "Reserve a Table" and "View Menu" buttons. Crucially, we integrated an interactive Specials & Events Calendar directly onto the homepage, ensuring that happy hour deals are the first thing a visitor sees.

Phase 3: Interactive & Scalable

To engage users, we coded subtle cursor animations and clickable content boxes. We leveraged Popmenu’s CMS to build a robust "About Us" section and a dedicated Menus page inspired by industry leaders (Snapperz). The site was built to be scalable, ready for future integrations like online ordering as the business evolves.

Solutions Delivered

Area	Highlight
Visual Design	Crafted a custom "Rustic Minimalist" theme using #FBF8ED and #BF1F2F to reflect the restaurant's historic location.
Event Strategy	Integrated a dynamic Specials & Events calendar above the fold to aggressively promote Happy Hour revenue.
Interactive UX	Implemented JavaScript cursor animations and hover states to increase user engagement and dwell time.
Operational Efficiency	Optimized Popmenu workflows to allow staff to update menus and events in real-time during peak service hours.
Navigation Logic	Simplified the sitemap by hiding non-essential links (Hiring, Gallery) in the footer to keep the header focused on Reservations.