The Fat Cactus: a colourful restaurant sign

An arched sign with icons

The Fat Cactus sign is a black panel with an arched top, mounted on a yellow wall. Inside the arch is a cactus. It is drawn as a thin green outline on the black panel, with a snake winding up its trunk. A tight circle of bright icons surrounds the cactus. The icons include a sun, a guitar, tacos, a chilli, a sugar skull and a cowboy boot. Below, the name “The Fat Cactus” is in chunky orange and yellow letters in a Wild West style.

Why the sign is easy to see

The black background makes every colour on the sign look brighter. Even the small icons are clear from the street. Most signs are rectangles, so the arched top stands out. It also matches the round circle of icons inside it. This makes the sign easy to spot and easy to remember. The icons show what kind of restaurant this is before you read the name.

A busy design like this needs a simple layout around it. This sign uses one shape, one background colour and a large, plain name. This keeps a colourful sign neat and easy to read.

See shopfront signs and our work for restaurants and food businesses.