To assess whether your restaurant’s branded text and buttons are readable, test each color against the background directly behind it. Start with menu prices, body text, links, and order buttons. Record the results in an audit sheet, then adjust any weak pairs and check them again on the actual website.
A color that works in a logo may not work as small text. You can often keep the brand color for larger decorative areas while using a darker version for words or a different button background. The important decision is which combinations guests must read and use, not whether a particular color stays everywhere.
Inventory the color pairs guests use
List the pages and actions that matter most: finding hours, reading the menu, starting an order, choosing an item, and completing checkout. Include your reservation flow if guests can book through the site. If your online ordering opens in a separate page, check that experience too; it may use different colors or controls.
For each item, record both the foreground and background. Foreground can mean text, an icon, a button label, or a control’s border. The background is the surface immediately behind it, not necessarily the main color of the page.
- Body text and menu descriptions against the page background.
- Prices, hours, and other small text against cards or panels.
- Links against their surrounding background, including links inside paragraphs.
- Order and reservation button labels against their button fills.
- Input labels, borders, selected options, and error messages against adjacent colors.
- Text over photos, gradients, and colored overlays.
Ask whoever manages the site for the current color values, usually written as six-digit hexadecimal codes such as #FFFFFF. A designer may have a brand palette, while a site manager or ordering provider may control the actual page settings. Those are not always the same thing. If you cannot identify a value, ask for the rendered colors or help inspecting the page.
Also note text size, whether it is bold, and where the pair appears. A small menu description needs closer attention than a large headline. Capture the normal button state and the states that appear when a guest hovers, uses a keyboard, selects an option, or encounters an error.
Measure contrast, then inspect the real page
Use a color contrast checker that accepts foreground and background values and reports a contrast ratio. The ratio describes the difference in brightness between two colors; higher ratios generally make text easier to distinguish from its background.
A useful starting target from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Large text generally means at least 18 points, or 14 points when bold. Relevant visual information in interface controls and state indicators also has a 3:1 contrast target against adjacent colors. These numbers are decision aids, not a substitute for reviewing the complete experience.
Enter the actual text and background values, not approximate colors from a printed menu. Record the ratio and the target that applies. If a pair misses its target, test an alternative and write down who can make the change.
Photos need special care. A checker can compare two solid colors, but a photograph has many colors and may change across screen sizes. Check the text against the lightest and darkest areas it can sit over. A solid panel or a consistent dark overlay behind the words can make the result more predictable. Verify the finished page on a phone as well as a larger screen, because cropping and text placement can change.
Contrast is only one part of readability. Check that text is large enough to read, lines are not crowded, and links remain recognizable without relying on color alone. Test with keyboard navigation and zoom as well. A passing ratio does not establish that the whole website is accessible or meets every applicable requirement.
Use a brand color contrast audit sheet
The following is a hypothetical audit for a restaurant with a gray-and-white palette. The ratios are approximate. The proposed changes are design options, not results from a live website. Recheck your own exact colors and rendered page before approving them.
| Page element | Current pair and result | Decision | Retest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu descriptions | #777777 text on #FFFFFF; about 4.48:1 | Replace with #595959 text on white; about 7:1 | Check the smallest description on mobile |
| Order button label | White text on #777777; about 4.48:1 | Try white text on #595959; about 7:1 | Check label and button boundary in each state |
| Headline over food photo | White text over changing image; no single reliable ratio | Place text on a solid dark panel | Measure the final pair and inspect mobile crop |
| Keyboard focus | Indicator color and adjacent surface not yet recorded | Choose a visible indicator for each surrounding surface | Tab through links, buttons, and fields |
The first two rows show why a near miss still needs a decision: approximately 4.48:1 does not reach the 4.5:1 normal-text target. The darker gray provides more room than a barely passing alternative. The photo and focus rows are different: they need the actual rendered colors before a useful ratio can be recorded.
For your own sheet, add a page or screen name, the person responsible for each fix, and a status such as “measure,” “change,” or “retest.” Keep the original pair alongside the replacement so a designer can see what changed. Prioritize essential actions and information before decorative text: a weak checkout button or unreadable price deserves attention before a low-priority promotional caption.
Compare alternatives without losing the brand
Give your designer or website provider a small set of approved roles rather than one color to use everywhere. For example, the original brand shade might remain in a logo, divider, or large background, while a darker shade handles small text. A button may need its own fill and label combination. Test each role rather than assuming that one approved shade works on every surface.
When comparing options, consider the full control. A white label may contrast well with a dark button, but the button itself still needs to be distinguishable from the area around it. A border can help define its edge; check that border against the colors next to it. Make the action understandable with a clear label such as “Start order,” not color alone.
Links present a similar trade-off. A brand-colored link can blend into nearby paragraph text even when both colors contrast with the background. An underline gives guests another way to identify it. Check links in their normal and keyboard-focused states, including links in the footer and policy pages.
If you are choosing a restaurant website, ask which colors you can edit yourself and which require provider support. Ask whether those settings also affect the ordering and reservation flows, or whether each must be adjusted separately. The restaurant website builder comparison can help frame the wider buying decision; use the audit sheet to check the specific colors in any design you are considering.
Retest focus, errors, and disabled states
After a color change, repeat the checks on the working page. Use the Tab key to move through navigation, menu links, buttons, and form fields. You should be able to tell where keyboard focus is at each step. Measure the focus indicator against the adjacent colors it touches, and check that it remains visible on different backgrounds.
Try the same controls with a pointer and on a phone. Look at selected options and error messages, not just the default screen. An error should explain what needs attention in words; a red outline alone may be missed. Check that an error message remains readable against its background and is associated with the relevant field.
Disabled controls need a separate note. Inactive interface components are exempt from the WCAG minimum contrast requirements for text and non-text contrast, but guests still need to understand why they cannot proceed and what to do next. If a button is unavailable until a choice is made, provide a clear instruction rather than relying only on a faded color. Do not mistake a disabled appearance for proof that the underlying action works.
Use a safe practice environment for interactive checks. A simulated order should not charge a card, send a guest message, or dispatch a courier. If a provider offers a live service pilot, agree on its scope and any real transactions separately. Record the device, page, state, and result so the person making changes can reproduce the issue.
Next step: Pick three high-use screens, fill in the audit sheet, and send the failed or unmeasured pairs to your site provider. If you are considering a change, ask Fleksa about its restaurant website, color-editing options, and current US availability for your setup.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my brand colors if they fail a contrast check?
Often, yes. Keep a color in a role where it works and test a darker or lighter companion for text and buttons. Measure each actual foreground-and-background pair.
Is a contrast checker enough to approve a website?
No. It measures a specific color pair, not the entire guest experience. Inspect the rendered page, keyboard focus, text size, images, errors, and mobile layout as well.
What should I check first?
Start with menu text and prices, hours, ordering and reservation buttons, and checkout controls. Then cover links, forms, focus indicators, and less frequently visited pages.
