Courtesy Diner
This St. Louis icon was originally built in 1935. For the redesign, the client wanted to focus on the post-World War II era that made this diner a St. Louis landmark. He wanted a menu that would remind people of soda jerks, poodle skirts, and home-made food.
I began by researching diners of this era for inspiration and found a common graphic element in in the checkerboard pattern. The Courtesy Diner currently uses plates with a black and white checker pattern around the edge.
Courtesy Diner: Menu Redesign
Courtesy Dine: Previous Design
© https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbk/
I also wanted to ensure the typography stayed true to the era. This was a pre-Helvetica era, where fonts such as Trade Gothic were widely used. Hand-lettering was also often found in advertisements of the time. The red, black, and white color palette also reflects the store fronts of Courtesy Diner restaurants.
The previous menu design, while easy to read, did not reflect the personality of Courtesy Diner.