A design with results bigger than Texas
Willie’s Icehouse Website Redesign
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Overview
Willie’s is an institution. It’s the place where the patio is always open and the beer is always cold. But their digital presence felt like it was stuck in the freezer. The previous website (circa 2022) was a functional directory but failed to capture the warm, chaotic energy of a true Texas icehouse. It was a static brochure that forced users to work too hard to find their local spot or place an order.
More critically, the path to purchase was fraught with friction. Users would often land on a generic menu page without knowing if they were ordering from the location down the street or one three cities over. This “location confusion” led to abandoned carts and operational headaches. The brand needed a site that felt like a Willie’s and worked like a tech company.
Results
The refresh proved that you don’t need to replatform to revolutionize your business. By optimizing the existing stack and focusing on user flow, we drove immediate value. The friction is gone, and the orders are flowing.
Tech Integrations
A Digital Patio for Every Guest
We didn’t just skin a WordPress theme. We rebuilt the core experience to bridge the gap between “brand” and “buying.” We kept the WordPress foundation for ease of management but stripped the chassis down to build a custom performance vehicle.
Smart Geolocation
Ordering from the wrong location is a mood killer. We engineered a geolocation interception layer that triggers before the user hops over to the Olo ordering channel. The site detects the user’s location and serves the specific menu, pricing, and availability for the nearest Willie’s. This ensures that when a guest clicks “Order,” they are already on the right path.
Menu as a Magnet
A PDF menu is a dead end for search engines. We exploded the menu architecture into individual, indexable pages. Now, when a hungry Texan searches for “best catfish in Katy” or “burger near me,” Willie’s specific menu items rank. We turned the menu from a passive list into an active acquisition tool.
Agile Marketing Engine
In the restaurant world, speed wins. We built a flexible promotions module that allows the internal marketing team to spin up campaigns, LTOs (Limited Time Offers), and banner alerts in minutes. Whether it’s a “Bonus Tuesday” or a sudden crave for crawfish, the team can deploy updates across the entire network without waiting on a developer.
Visual Authenticity
We ditched the stock photography feel. The new design leans heavily into the “Icehouse” aesthetic—galvanized textures, bold typography, and photography that highlights the condensation on the glass and the char on the burger. It connects the user to the physical experience before they even step foot on the property.
Services
This project took flight through the following services.