When you run a restaurant, café, or food truck, your talent is cooking.

You can dice, slice, julienne, and whip up a jus with your eyes closed. What might not come quite as naturally is building a website to publicise your business.

Fortunately, with the right tools and a little bit of advice, you can design and launch a website in less time than it takes to slow-cook a ragu.

Here we explain how.

 

For starters: Find your domain

If you’re not familiar with the term ‘domain’, this first step to setting up a website may sound scarier than it is.

But don’t worry, it’s quite simple. Essentially, a domain name is a web address. So, 123 Reg’s domain name is 123-reg.co.uk. Yours might become yourbistro.co.uk.

You can buy a domain name from good domain name registrar — like 123 Reg.

To make a purchase, simply go to the domain names page, enter the name you’d like into the domain search bar, and see if it is available to buy.

If it is available, you can buy it then and there. If not, you’ll be given lots of other good options.

Bear in mind that it’s important to get your domain name right from the start. While it is possible to change the domain name of your website further down the line, it can lead to some complications and quite a bit of extra effort.

 

Basic tips for choosing a domain name:

✓  Keep it short – ideally, less than 15 characters and one to two words.

✓  Make it easy to type – while a name like scrumptiouswumptiouscupcakes.com sounds cute, it could easily be misspelled or mistyped.

✓  Avoid numbers or hyphens – as people can also mistype or misuse these.

✓  Make sure your chosen name doesn’t infringe on the copyright of another brand – read more about what a domain name is and how to choose the perfect one for you in our step-by-step guide.

Did you know: your web address doesn’t have to end in the typical .com (although it’s still a popular option).

There are also hundreds of alternative domain name endings out there. These options are particularly relevant to the restaurant industry…

• .restaurant
• .cafe
• .food
• .menu
• .pizza
• .beer
• .coffee

 

.co.uk and .uk are always a strong choice for British businesses, along with .wales and .scot — or, if you’re based in the capital, you might choose .london.

Find a domain name to fit your business. There are over 400 extensions to choose from!

Your restaurant website’s main ingredients

Leave the sugar out of a Victoria sponge and you’ll have a sub-par cake, the same applies to a restaurant website. Be sure to include these ingredients:

 

☑︎  1. A striking home page

As the first page your website visitors see, your home page is your chance to make that all-important first impression. 

Many restaurants choose to have a large photograph or video at the very top of their homepage, overlaid with a few words that sum up the philosophy or ethos of the venue and obvious links to their booking area (these links are called Calls to Action, by the way). 

Then, when customers scroll down the home page, to the area that’s known as the ‘below the fold’ section, they will often find a more detailed explanation of the eatery’s story or further links. 

Of course, you can make your homepage look any way you want it to, adding and switching up images, text, and video any way you like.  

One of the easiest ways to create a homepage is with the 123 Reg Website Builder.

When you start building your website, you’ll first get a few simple questions about your business — the type of business you run, its name, and some basic details. This helps set up a site that fits what you do.

Once you’ve filled that in, the builder will automatically suggest a design layout for your kind of restaurant.

For example, if you run an Italian pizzeria, the template will include space for menus, opening hours, booking info, and plenty of room to show off your dishes.

It’s an easy way to get a vibe that feels right for your restaurant without having to create everything from scratch.

You can then start to personalise your restaurant site by adding your own food photos, swapping out text, and adjusting colours and fonts to match your style.

 

By the time you’re done, you’ll have a clean, inviting site ready to welcome customers, so you can focus on making great food and running your restaurant!

Website Builder plans start from just £5.99 a month, together with a FREE .online web address.

 

☑︎  2. Set your opening hours

It’s essential to have your opening hours on your website.  

There are various places you can display them. These include… 

• The footer – this is the area at the very bottom of the homepage where you might also find links to social media sites and contact details. 
• A dedicated opening hours page on your site. 

 

Be sure to include holiday hours or seasonal changes in the information you display!

 

☑︎  3. Up-to-date menus

A survey from YouGov UK found that 36 per cent of diners check menus online before going to a restaurant or pub to eat out. A further 35% of those polled said they ‘sometimes’ check menus. 

So, it’s important to display your menu, or at least an example menu, on your website.  

The good news is that website builders allow you to add menu sections to your website in the click of a button. All you need to do is insert the dishes, descriptions, and prices.   

 

☑︎  4. Contact details and location

Your address should appear front and centre on your website.

Many restaurant owners place it in the header (the upmost part of the homepage that often includes a logo and the navigation menu). You can also include the details in your footer and/or on a dedicated ‘how to find’ us page.

Top tip: think about embedding Google Maps on your website to ensure people know exactly how to find you.

 

☑︎  5. Bookings/reservations

A recent study of more than 800 diners across the UK and Ireland discovered that 79% of those questioned liked to make dinner reservations through a venue’s own website.

The same poll found that 16% of diners would look elsewhere if they tried to make a booking by phone and their first call wasn’t answered.

If you’re using a website builder to design your site, you can add a reservations section in a single click.

Make sure you explain if you take walk-ins or whether reservations are essential.

 

☑︎  6. Reviews and testimonials

A recent survey from Forbes Technology Council found that more than 50% of consumers trust online reviews more than traditional sources like company marketing, media reviews, or even recommendations from friends and family.

So, displaying reviews on your website can help build trust and get new feet through your door. Just be sure to link to review sources so visitors can verify comments for themselves.

 

☑︎  7. About you page

This page is your chance to get your beliefs, passions, and personal story across.

Are you a family-run restaurant or a partner-led team? Write about it.

Do you source your products locally – if so, tell your visitors how and why.

Where did the idea for your venture come from? People love to learn about roots.

What are the talents of your team? Shout about them all.

 

☑︎  8. Gallery

Science shows that we eat with our eyes – one study even found that children were more inclined to say they liked the taste of carrots if the vegetables were wrapped up in McDonald’s wrappers.

So, showcasing your food on your website in a gallery section – which you can add in a single click using a website builder – is a great way to get potential customers salivating.

Unless you are a pro with a camera, you might want to invest in some professional imagery here. Or read up on how to ‘style’ food for photos.

Website Builder gives you access to professional imagery of food, but you’ll ideally want to feature your own creations on your site for authenticity.

 

☑︎  9. Events and special offers

Website Builder makes it easy to add a calendar or events section to your website where you can clearly display everything from special offers to one-off occasions like Mother’s Day lunches or bottomless brunches.

Make sure this section is regularly updated.

 

☑︎  10. Social media links

If you’re using social media to build a community through topical posts, be sure you link to these on your website.

Websites and social media sites can complement each other. The bonus of a website is that content and images are constant and won’t get lost or disappear in a feed. Whilst the beauty of a social network is it allows you to communicate and interact with clients in real time, getting your personality across.

 

Be sure your restaurant is mobile-ready

Making sure your website is mobile-ready helps your customers find you easily and makes a great first impression – which is exactly what every restaurant needs.

These days, lots of people look for restaurants on their phones, whether they’re out and about or just deciding where to eat. Having a website that works well on mobiles means you won’t miss out on those customers.

A mobile-friendly site should load fast and be easy to navigate, showing your menu and booking options well even on a small screen. For restaurant owners, this can make all the difference between getting a booking or losing one to a competitor.

Website Builder takes care if all this so your site will look great on any device. You can switch between desktop and mobile previews in a click.

 

Get your restaurant found in local search

Once your restaurant’s website is live, you want customers to find it easily. That’s what SEO or “Search Engine Optimisation” helps with.

In simple terms, SEO is about using the right keywords — like “Best vegan brunch in Bristol” — in your page titles, headings, and content.

You should also keep your content fresh and make sure your site loads quickly for the best results.

Added to that, be sure to:

✓  Complete your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is a free listing that helps your restaurant appear on Google Maps and in the info panel on the right-hand side of Google searches.

It’s one of the most important ways to attract customers to a local business, giving customers an easy way to see your opening hours and leave reviews.

Go to Google Business Profile (business.google.com) and follow the steps to claim your listing.

See also: Local SEO in 10 – How Do I Get My Business Found Online?

 

✓  Make your content AI-friendly

With Google’s new AI search mode, search results often include direct answers pulled from websites.

To increase your chances of being featured, write your content clearly and answer common customer questions on your site. For example, “Do you offer vegan options?” or “Where is the nearest parking?”

When you structure your content with easy headings and simple language, that makes it easier for Google’s AI search to pick up your information – helping more customers discover you.

See also: How to Get Your Business Seen in Google’s New AI Mode

 

Summing up

Building a restaurant website doesn’t have to be intimidating or expensive. With the right domain name and a user-friendly website builder, you can create a professional online presence in a matter of hours, without any technical knowledge.

The perfect restaurant website will showcase your menu, opening hours, contact details, images of your dishes, reviews and testimonials, and link to your social media profiles, too. It’s also easier than you think to add booking functionality to your self-made site.