Design tokens for restaurants who hate design systems

Design systems have a reputation for enterprise theatre. Underneath is a simple idea: agree the basics so each new site does not invent a slightly different pink.

Tokens are that idea without the ceremony. Named colour, type, space. The lemon, the ink, the booking button that survives contact with real copy.

Start small. Palette, one pairing of fonts, spacing that matches the grid, menu and book styles that work on a phone. That prevents drift across locations.

Enforce with tools, not policy. CSS variables, theme files, Quiteful embeds that do not restyle themselves into chaos.

Grow later if you need it. Most groups need the sites, the menus and the booking path to feel related — not a senior designer on every margin.