Hungry people decide fast. They want your menu, your hours and a way to order, in that order, on their phone. A restaurant website that gives them that in a few seconds wins the table. Whether you build it yourself or compare restaurant website design services, here’s what it needs and what it costs.
People check before they come. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 54% visit the business’s website after reading positive reviews. For a restaurant, that visit is usually a look at the menu.
What every restaurant website needs
- A menu people can read on a phone. Real text, with prices, not a photo of a printed menu. Group it the way your kitchen does: starters, mains, drinks, desserts.
- Your hours, kept current. Including holidays and seasonal changes. Wrong hours cost you guests (more on that below).
- How to find you. Your address, a map, and a line about parking or the entrance if it’s tricky.
- Your phone number, one tap to call, for takeout and questions.
- An Order or Book button at the top of every page, sending people straight to your ordering or reservations.
- Real photos of your food and your room. What people see is what they’ll want to order.
- Dietary information. Mark vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes, and tell people how to ask about allergies.
- Catering and private events, if you do them, with a simple request form. These are big orders; make them easy to ask for.
Taking orders on your own website
Delivery apps bring you customers, but every order costs you a cut. DoorDash’s own merchant pricing lists delivery commissions of 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus) or 30% (Premier), and 6% on pickup orders. Orders through DoorDash’s online ordering on your own website are commission-free, with a payment processing fee.
So give regulars a direct way to order: an Order button on your website that goes to your own online ordering. Keep the apps for reaching new people, and let the people who already love you order direct.
Keep your hours and menu right everywhere
In BrightLocal’s 2023 research, 62% of consumers said they would avoid a business if they found incorrect information about it online. For a restaurant that’s usually old hours or an old menu. Make your website the place you update first, then match your Google Business Profile and delivery apps to it.
Restaurant website design ideas: a homepage that fills tables
- First screen: a great photo, your name, what kind of food, and the Order and Book buttons.
- Today’s hours and your address, right under it.
- The menu, one tap away, or right on the page if it’s short.
- A few reviews and photos of your most popular dishes.
- Catering and events, if you offer them, with a request form.
Cafes, bakeries and food trucks
- Cafes: hours up top, a short menu with prices, and whether you have seating, wifi or outdoor tables.
- Bakeries: what’s available daily versus to order, lead times for cakes and custom orders, and an order form.
- Food trucks: where you’ll be and when. A weekly schedule people can check before they head out, plus booking for private events.
How to get more customers to your restaurant
- Google Business Profile. Add your menu, hours and plenty of food photos, and keep them current.
- Reviews. Ask happy guests, and reply to reviews, good and bad.
- A direct way to order and book on your own site, so regulars come back to you, not to an app.
What a restaurant website costs
Web firms estimated $1,000 to $3,000 for a basic website in a 2026 survey. For the full breakdown, see How much does a small business website cost?
- Starter, $1,500: up to 5 pages: your menu, hours, map, photos, and Order and Book buttons linked to the ordering and reservation systems you already use. Google Business Profile setup included. Live in 7 days.
- Growth, $2,800: up to 10 pages, plus online booking with reminders, which works for table reservations and private events.
- Store & Booking, $4,500: adds an online store (up to 25 products) and payment links. A good fit for bakeries, food trucks and shops selling a short list of items.
You pay half to start and half when it’s live, and the domain is in your name from day one. Other kinds of business? See who we build for.
Common questions
What should a restaurant website include?
A menu people can read on a phone, with prices; your hours, including holidays; your address with a map and parking notes; your phone number; a button to order or book a table; real photos of your food; and dietary information.
Should my restaurant take orders on its own website?
It’s worth it. DoorDash’s own pricing lists delivery commissions of 15%, 25% or 30% depending on the plan, and 6% for pickup. Orders through its online ordering on your own website are commission-free, with a payment processing fee.
How much does a restaurant website cost?
Web firms estimated $1,000 to $3,000 for a basic site in a 2026 survey. Our Starter site is $1,500, live in 7 days. Growth, at $2,800, adds online booking, which works for table reservations.
Should I put my menu on my website as a PDF?
Use real text instead. A PDF is hard to read on a phone and easy to forget to update. A menu on the page loads fast, reads well on any screen, and you can change a price in minutes.
Sources
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026. 1,002 US adults; published February 11, 2026.
- BrightLocal, Local Business Discovery & Trust Report 2023. 1,138 US consumers; September 2023.
- DoorDash, Merchant fees and pricing (US). Checked October 5, 2026.
- GoodFirms, Website Development Cost 2026. Survey of 300+ web development companies; updated September 7, 2026.