About The Living Clock
The Living Clock is a one-page restaurant website built around a gold clock hanging in a room. The room follows the real time: morning sun on the wall and a coffee on the table, bright white light at midday, long gold light in the afternoon, and candles and low shadows at night. Visitors see what’s being served right now and how long until it ends.
Around the clock are your four times of day: First Light, High Sun, Petite Pause and Candlelight in the sample. Hover over one and the room changes to that hour, or drag the clock’s hands to travel through the day. Click one to sit down: a full-screen photo, a short story, five signature dishes with prices, and the full menu for that time, followed by your address, phone, email and booking link.
Everything you change is in one clearly marked block at the top of the file: your name, tagline, times, dishes, prices, photos and contact details. Open it in any text editor, save it and put it online for free. Prefer not to edit it yourself? Add customization for $15 and we’ll do it for you.
What your website includes
- A room that follows the clockThe wall colour, window light, table, coffee cup and candles change through the day, set to your visitor’s clock or to your restaurant’s time zone.
- Four times of dayName each one, set its hours and colour, and write one line about its mood. The one being served now is marked.
- Hover, drag or tapHover a glowing hour to change the light, or drag the clock’s hands through the day. On phones, tap an hour.
- Signature dishesFive dishes for each time of day, each with a photo, a short note and a price. Dishes without a photo show a drawn plate until you add one.
- The full menuA menu for each time of day, in groups such as “From the oven”, “Plates” and “To drink”, with an allergy note.
- Reserve a tableYour address, phone, email and an optional Book online link to OpenTable, Resy, Tock or your own booking page.
- One file, no set-upThe whole site, sample photos included, is a single
index.html. No database, no plugins and nothing to install. - Built for everyoneEvery hour opens with a keyboard, and visitors who turn on reduced motion see a calm version.
What’s included in the download
index.html: your website, with the sample photos insideREADME.txt: how to change your details and publishLICENSE.txt: your licence
How editing works
- Open the file in a text editorOpen
index.htmlin TextEdit, Notepad or any code editor and find the block that starts withconst SITE = {. - Type your detailsChange your name, tagline, times (24-hour clock, for example 18:00), dishes, prices, photo links and contact details. Save, then open the file in your browser to check it.
- Publish freeDrag the folder onto Netlify Drop, or upload
index.htmlto any web host.
Who it’s for
- Restaurants, bistros and brasseries with different menus through the day
- Cafés, bakeries and all-day kitchens that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Designers and freelancers building food websites (one licence per client website)
Requirements
A computer with a text editor and a modern browser. Free hosting on Netlify Drop or any web host. For online bookings: your own booking link, such as OpenTable, Resy or Tock.
Good to know
- There’s no visual editor: you change your details in one marked block of the file. Or add the $15 customization and we’ll do it.
- The sample photos show the style. Replace them with photos of your own food before launch.
- The site doesn’t take bookings or payments itself. The Book online button goes to your booking service.
- Check every dish, price and allergy note before you publish.
FAQ
Do I need to code?
No. You type your details between quotation marks in one clearly marked block, and the README shows you where. If you’d rather not, add customization and we’ll do it for you.
Can I change the times of day?
Yes. Rename each one, set its start and end times and pick its colour. The clock, the room’s light and the “being served now” line follow your times.
Does it show my restaurant’s time or the visitor’s?
The visitor’s clock by default. Set your time zone, for example America/Vancouver, and it shows your restaurant’s time to everyone.
Can people book a table?
Add your booking link (OpenTable, Resy, Tock or your own page) and a Book online button appears next to your address, phone and email.
Can I use my own photos?
Yes. Paste a photo link into each dish’s image box. Dishes without a photo show a drawn plate.
Does it work on phones?
Yes. On phones the times of day sit in a row under the clock, and visitors tap one to open it.
What does the $15 customization include?
Tick “Add customization” before you pay and we’ll make your changes for you, such as your restaurant’s name, opening hours, dishes, prices, photos and contact details. After checkout, email us the details and we’ll reply to arrange them. Bigger projects may need a quote first; we’ll tell you before doing any extra work.
Can I use it for more than one website?
Each licence covers one website. Buy one licence for each site or client.
Do I need to register or create an account with The Food Aisle?
No. After you pay, your download appears straight away on the thank-you page and the link is also emailed to you.
Refunds?
Because this is a digital download, sales are final once downloaded, unless the file is faulty and we can’t fix it.
Licence
$99 CAD per website. One licence covers one website for one restaurant, café or food business. Building sites for several clients? Buy one licence per website.