A menu template shouldn't be a skin. It's a system.

Browse the theme gallery on the homepage to pick a starting point. This page covers what a theme actually controls and what you can swap, override, or tune from there.

Unlike a static menu template you download and edit by hand, a theme stays live: it renders your real items, reflows when you add dishes, and publishes straight to a QR code, the web, signage, and print without you rebuilding anything.

Item designs

Every theme comes with a default look for menu items, and you can switch to any of eight at any time. Each one changes how the name, price, and any add-ons sit together, the line between name and price, and how many columns fit. Switch designs and the whole menu updates instantly.

• Classic with dot leader. Traditional layout with dotted line between item name and price.
• Modern minimal. Clean type, no leaders, generous breathing room.
• Bold price-prominent. Oversized prices for quick service and casual concepts.
• Condensed no leader. Tight, dense layout for menus with many items.
• Separator heavy. Decorative rules between items for editorial menus.
• Compact rule. Subtle horizontal rules with a steady rhythm.
• Centered elegant. A centered stack of name, description, and price for upscale menus.
• Casual inline price. The price tucked right after the name, relaxed and readable.

Section designs

Fourteen looks for section headers, which you can pick separately from the item look. Each sets its own sizing for the title, subtitle, and description, plus the style of any divider line or decoration. The three left rail designs go further: they place the section title in a vertical band beside the dishes, with a rail width you can set per section, up to half the section. On phones, published menus fold the rail back above the dishes so nothing gets cramped.

• Centered with rule. Classic, balanced section breaks.
• Left aligned, no rule. Editorial style.
• All caps small. Subtle, magazine style headers.
• Thick rule banner. Bold statement breaks for high-contrast menus.
• Boxed card. The title inside a rounded, bordered card.
• Card, square corners. The same card with sharp corners for tailored menus.
• Wave flourish. Wavy flourish lines on either side of a centered title.
• Ornament flanked. A small ornament icon on each side of the title.
• Dotted band. The title set between dotted decorative bands.
• Double rule classic. Classic double rules flanking a centered title.
• Solid rule flanked. A solid rule on each side, interrupted by the title.
• Left rail. The title in a vertical band beside the dishes instead of above them.
• Left rail wide. The band grows to half the section for a bold split.
• Left rail compact. A small, quiet rail title with a thin rule.

Make it yours

Pick a theme as your starting point, then change anything you want: colors, fonts, spacing, margins, and how many columns. Every change has a one click reset back to the theme's original, so you can experiment without worry. Wondering if two colors read well together? Check them in the free menu contrast checker.

Backgrounds and patterns

Set a solid color, choose from over 50 built-in patterns, pick from a gallery of background images, or use one of your own. Every pattern's colors are editable, so it matches your brand instead of being stuck with a default. The full list of patterns and fonts is on the Under the Hood page.

Icons

A hand picked set of restaurant icons, organized by category: Meals, Proteins, Produce, Baked Goods, Desserts, Drinks, Dietary, and General. Recolor them to match your menu, with the theme's accent color used by default. Search and browse from the editor toolbar.

Fonts

Over 40 hand picked fonts that look good on menus, without the overwhelm of a thousand-font list. Set weight, spacing, color, and alignment per element, with a quick search to find the one you want. Each theme picks sensible fonts to start, and you can change any of them. Fonts load only when used, so published menus stay fast.

Brand logo block

A spot for your logo or wordmark at the top of a menu, sized to match the rest of the design. Each menu can have its own logo, so your brunch and cocktail menus don't have to share one. Pick a logo from your library or upload a new one, and it keeps its proportions as you resize. Let it sit in the layout on its own, or place it exactly where you want. It shows up everywhere: on screen, in print, on the web, and on signage.

Apply themes with confidence

Switching themes after you've already made changes is a real worry, so Menu Author handles it head-on. When you switch, you choose: keep the changes you've made where they still fit, or start fresh from the new theme. When nothing clashes, the switch happens in one click. And every change, including theme switches, can be undone.

Everything stays in sync

Changing a theme isn't just a coat of paint. The whole menu re-flows to match: spacing, columns, margins, and the look of headings and dishes all update together. It happens right in your browser, so you see the new look instantly.