Where African Cuisine Meets UK Nightlife
1. The Project Brief – A Restaurant That’s More Than Food
Suya Hut is not just a place to eat; it’s a cultural experience.
Located in the UK, it offers:
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Authentic African dishes (specializing in Suya).
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Live music nights and traditional dance performances.
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Private party and corporate event bookings.
The goal for the website was to:
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Capture the vibrancy of the brand in a bold, modern design.
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Promote event bookings as much as the restaurant menu.
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Provide a seamless mobile-first experience for food lovers and event-goers.
2. Understanding the Audience – Foodies, Culture Lovers, and Event Planners
Suya Hut’s audience is diverse:
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Local food enthusiasts looking for authentic African flavors.
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Event seekers drawn to live performances and themed nights.
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Party organizers wanting unique venues with great food and entertainment.
The UI/UX needed to:
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Feel energetic and immersive.
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Encourage quick reservations and event bookings.
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Present a clear menu and events schedule.
3. UI/UX Design Approach – Bold, Lively, and Delicious
a. Visual Identity
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Colors:
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Deep Black (#000000) – Sleek, modern, and immersive.
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Red (#E53935) – Passion, energy, and appetite stimulation.
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White (#FFFFFF) – Clean text presentation against dark backgrounds.
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Typography:
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Bold, uppercase headings for impact.
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Legible sans-serif body fonts for readability in dark-mode design.
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Imagery:
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High-resolution food photography.
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Vibrant event images featuring live music and dance.
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b. Navigation Flow
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Hero Banner: Mouth-watering food imagery + tagline “Quick Bite, Big Flavor!”
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Events Section: Highlighting live music, dance, food festivals, and private bookings.
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Menu Access: Easy link to food offerings with visuals.
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Booking CTA: Persistent “Book Now” button for quick reservations.
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Gallery: Showcasing the atmosphere and event energy.
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Contact & Social Links: Encouraging engagement and followership.
4. Technical Implementation
Platform: WordPress CMS for content flexibility.
Performance Optimization:
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Compressed imagery without losing visual punch.
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Mobile-optimized design for easy on-the-go booking.
Booking Tools:
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Direct contact forms for event reservations.
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Clearly visible phone and email contacts.
SEO Focus:
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Keywords for “African restaurant UK”, “Suya UK”, “live music restaurant London”.
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Event-based meta tags for discoverability.
5. Challenges & Solutions
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Challenge: Balancing food promotion with event marketing.
Solution: Split homepage content into culinary and entertainment sections, both equally prominent. -
Challenge: Capturing the energy of live events online.
Solution: Used action shots, performance imagery, and bold colors to evoke nightlife excitement. -
Challenge: Encouraging instant bookings.
Solution: “Book Now” CTA repeated at strategic points across the site.
6. Impact – A Flavorful Digital Presence
After launch:
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Increase in private event bookings through the website.
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Stronger brand identity online, combining food and cultural entertainment.
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Positive customer feedback on the site’s visual appeal and ease of navigation.
7. My Takeaways
This project reinforced the importance of emotional design in the food and entertainment industry.
Colors, photography, and typography all had to evoke taste, sound, and movement — making visitors feel the experience before they even arrive.
8. Project Snapshot
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Category: UI/UX Web Design – Restaurant & Events (UK)
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Role: UI/UX design, branding alignment, mobile-first optimization, SEO
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Impact: Boosted reservations, enhanced cultural branding, improved event visibility
Demo Website: suyahut.meoun.com
