Most people choose where to eat on their phone, often less than an hour before they go. They compare two or three places, and the one that answers their questions fastest gets the table. This guide covers what guests look for on a restaurant website, in the order they look for it, and how a restaurant website turns a quick visit into a booking.
1. A menu they can read on a phone
The menu is the most visited page of any restaurant website. A photo or a PDF of the printed menu forces guests to zoom in and scroll sideways, and many simply leave. A menu built as text on the page loads fast, reads well on a small screen and can be found by Google when someone searches for a dish near them.
- Prices next to every dish. Guests who cannot see prices assume the worst.
- Groups that match how people order: starters, mains, noodles, drinks, set menus.
- Short labels for vegetarian, spicy and new dishes.
- A menu you edit yourself, so a price change or a sold-out dish never waits for a developer.
2. Opening hours for today, and whether you are open now
“Are they open?” is the second question every guest asks. Show the hours for each day, holiday changes, and a clear “open now” or “opens at 5 pm” line near the top. The same hours should appear on your Google Maps listing; when the two disagree, guests trust neither.
3. Table booking that does not need a reply
Asking guests to send a message and wait for an answer loses bookings, especially in the evening when your staff are busy. A short booking form with date, time, party size and a note is enough for most restaurants. The request should reach the phone you actually read, by email and a chat app, at once.
Restaurants that also host events can add a separate page for parties and private dining, with packages and a form to ask about a date. Mixing walk-in bookings and wedding enquiries in one form confuses both.
4. One tap to call, chat or get directions
On a phone, buttons matter more than text. Keep three actions within reach on every page: call, message, and open the map. Add a line about parking or the nearest stop. A guest who finds the door easily arrives in a better mood.
5. Real photos of dishes and the room
Guests decide whether you suit a date, a family dinner or a team lunch by looking at the room. Stock photos make every restaurant look the same. Real photos, taken in good light on a phone, do more than any adjective. Large photos must still load quickly, so they should be resized and compressed for each screen.
6. Your menu in the languages your guests speak
Restaurants in tourist areas, and Vietnamese, Thai or Korean restaurants abroad, serve guests who read different languages. A bilingual website gives each guest the menu in their language and lets Google show the right version to each search. If you run a Vietnamese restaurant outside Vietnam, see websites for Vietnamese businesses abroad.
7. A page order that follows the guest’s questions
| Section | The guest’s question |
|---|---|
| Top: a signature dish, “open now”, Book button | Is this place right for tonight? |
| Menu by group, with prices | What can I eat, and what will it cost? |
| Signature dishes and the room | Will I enjoy it here? |
| The kitchen’s story | Who cooks, and with what? |
| Reviews from real guests | Did others like it? |
| Booking form | Can I get a table? |
| Address, map, hours | How do I get there, and when? |
What drives guests away
Some design choices that look impressive on a large screen cost restaurants bookings on a phone. Most of them are easy to avoid once you know them.
- Music or video that plays on its own. Guests often browse in quiet places; sound makes them close the page.
- A pop-up before the menu. Newsletter boxes and offers that cover the screen stand between the guest and the answer they came for.
- Old information. Last year’s prices or a closed branch on the website lose trust faster than having no website at all.
- A slow first screen. Heavy photos that are not resized for phones leave guests looking at a blank page on mobile data.
Each of these is fixed in the build itself: no autoplay, offers placed after the menu, prices you update yourself, and images prepared for every screen size. That is what a restaurant website should be checked for before it goes live.
Questions restaurant owners ask
We have a Facebook page. Do we still need a website?
Social pages are good for daily posts. A website is what people find on Google when they search your name or “restaurants near me”, with the menu, hours and booking in one place. The two work best together.
Should we take bookings through a delivery or booking app instead?
Apps bring visibility but take a commission and keep the guest’s details. Your own booking form keeps regulars coming straight to you; link to the apps for delivery orders only.
How long does a restaurant website take to build?
Usually 3 to 10 working days once the menu, photos and details are ready. The process page explains each step.
In short
- Guests want the menu with prices, today’s hours, a booking form, and directions, in that order.
- A text menu you can edit beats a photo of the printed one, for guests and for Google.
- Real photos and a bilingual menu win guests that stock photos and a single language lose.