A restaurant website has to answer four questions in a few seconds: what’s on the menu, what does it cost, when are you open and how do I book. Everything else comes after. It needs a menu that reads well on a phone rather than a PDF to download, with allergens marked; a button to book or call; up-to-date opening hours; and real photos of the food and the place. A restaurant website usually costs €800 to €2,500.
I’m Toure Tia Kevin, a web developer in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. I built, for example, the site for I Love Pizza, a Neapolitan pizzeria in Saint-Raphaël on the French Riviera: an interactive menu, Uber Eats ordering, a gallery and text in French and Italian.
What a restaurant website needs
- The menu on the page, readable on a phone and easy to update. A PDF is slow to open and Google reads it poorly.
- Allergens: EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires customers to be told about the allergens present. Listing them in the online menu too is useful and, for distance orders, the information must be available before purchase.
- Booking: an online system, a form or at the very least a call button and a WhatsApp button.
- Opening hours that are always current, closures and public holidays included, and identical to your Google listing.
- Real photos of the dishes, the dining room and the outside.
- Takeaway or delivery: links to the platforms you use or your own ordering system.
- Events and special evenings, if you run them.
Your Google listing matters as much as the site
For a restaurant, many customers arrive from Google Maps: “pizzeria near me”, “seafood restaurant”. The Google Business listing needs the right categories, correct hours, a link to the menu and bookings, recent photos and replies to reviews. The site and the listing should say the same things.
Bookings and orders: platforms or your own system?
Booking and delivery platforms bring new customers but take a commission. A system on your own site saves money on bookings and on regulars’ orders. Often the best answer is to use both: the platforms to be discovered, the site for people who already know you.
What it costs
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Brochure site with menu and bookings | €800–2,500 |
| Online ordering with payment | quoted per project, depending on the system |
| Maintenance and hosting | €30–80 a month |
For an evening or a promotion, a dedicated landing page works well too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I update the menu myself?
Yes: the menu is a page on the site that you can edit in a few minutes, even from your phone. If you’d rather, I can update it for you under maintenance.
Do I need social media if I have a website?
Yes: social media shows the dishes and the evenings, the site is where people book. If you’d like help there too, there’s the social media and automated content service.
If you run a restaurant, pizzeria or bar, get in touch.
