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Restaurant Websites: Menu, Hours, Order, Nothing Else
Quick answer
A restaurant website should put four things first: the menu, the hours, the location and a way to order or book. Publish the menu as readable text, not a PDF or image, keep hours, address and directions at the top of every page, make ordering and reservations take one tap, and design for phones first with fast pages.
Most people visit a restaurant website for four things: the menu, the hours, the location and a way to order or book. Many sites bury those under slideshows and PDF menus. A site that puts those four things first, and loads fast, turns more visits into orders.
Key Takeaways
- Guests mostly want the menu, hours, location and a way to order or book.
- Menus should be readable text, not PDFs or images.
- Hours, address and directions belong at the top of every page.
- Ordering and reservations should take one tap.
- Design for phones first and keep pages fast.
- Keep hours and menus matching on your site, profiles and apps.
Published: November 17, 2026 | Reading Time: ~7 minutes | Category: UI/UX Web Design
This guide covers restaurant website design: what guests look for, a readable menu, hours and location, ordering and booking, phones first, photos that help, matching details everywhere, languages, what to leave out and what to measure. Put plainly: put menu, hours, location and ordering first, make them fast on phones and keep them current.
In This Playbook
- What do guests look for on a restaurant website?
- A readable menu
- Hours and location
- Ordering and booking
- Phones first
- Photos that help
- Matching details everywhere
- Languages
- What to leave out
- What to measure
- The first three months
What do guests look for on a restaurant website?
The menu. What's on it and what it costs.
Hours and location. Open now, and how to get there.
Order or book. Pickup, delivery or a table.
A readable menu
Text, not a PDF. Easy to read and zoom on a phone.
Prices included. Guests want to know before they come.
Dietary notes. Vegetarian, gluten-free and allergens marked.
Easy to update. Staff can change items the same day.
Hours and location
At the top of every page. Not hidden in the footer.
Holiday hours. Updated before the holiday.
One tap for directions. Opens the phone's map app.
Ordering and booking
One clear button. Order or reserve, on every page.
Your own ordering where possible. Fewer fees than marketplaces, as in restaurant apps.
Waitlists too. As in restaurant engagement.
Phones first
Most visits are on phones. Design for small screens first.
Fast pages. As covered in landing page speed.
Tap-to-call. For questions and large orders.
Photos that help
A few real dishes. Sized for phones, not giant slideshows.
The room. So guests know what to expect.
Real moments belong on social, as covered in restaurant social.
Matching details everywhere
Same hours on your site and profiles. As covered in Google Business Profile.
Same menu and prices. On ordering apps too.
Helps AI answers. As in restaurant ChatGPT ads.
Languages
Spanish menus and pages. For Spanish-speaking guests.
Set up correctly. As covered in bilingual websites.
What to leave out
Autoplay video and music. Slow and annoying.
Long welcome messages. Nobody reads them before ordering.
Pop-ups on arrival. They hide the menu.
Multiple locations? As in restaurant group SEO.
What to measure
Orders and bookings from the site. Each week.
Menu page views. And time to order.
Calls and direction taps. From phones.
Page speed on phones. Kept fast.
Hours mismatches found. Across profiles.
The first three months
Month one: the basics
Replace PDF menus with text, put hours and location at the top and add one clear order or book button.
Month two: speed and match
Speed up pages on phones, remove slideshows and pop-ups and match hours and menus across profiles.
Month three: measure
Track orders, bookings, calls and direction taps, and update menus and hours promptly.
How Astra designs restaurant websites
Astra Results Marketing designs restaurant websites around what guests come for. We put the menu, hours, location and ordering first, build for phones and keep details matching everywhere.
Engagements begin with a website review through our UI/UX web design team.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What should a restaurant website include?
A readable menu, hours, location and a one-tap way to order or book.
Are PDF menus a problem?
Yes. They're hard to read on phones and hard to update. Use text menus.
Where should hours go?
At the top of every page, with holiday hours updated in advance.
Should restaurants use their own ordering?
Where possible, because it avoids marketplace fees, but keep it as easy as the marketplaces.
What should restaurant sites leave out?
Autoplay video, long welcome messages and pop-ups that hide the menu.
What should we measure?
Orders and bookings, menu views, calls and direction taps, page speed and hours mismatches.
Ready for a restaurant website that turns visits into orders? Astra Results Marketing designs restaurant sites with the menu, hours and ordering first, fast on every phone. ▸ CALL (786) 321-2866 · ▸ REQUEST YOUR CONSULTATION
