Your restaurant has a top-notch kitchen, an unbeatable atmosphere and a loyal customer base. But when someone Googles you on a Friday evening before deciding where to have dinner… what do they find?

This is the question restaurant and bar owners ask us most when they come to us. And the answer, in most cases, isn’t the one they expect.

The 5 most common mistakes when building a restaurant website

1. Using a generic template

The most frequent mistake. Wix or WordPress templates look acceptable, but they communicate exactly the opposite of what a restaurant needs: that you’re just like everyone else. Before booking, your customers are looking for a reason to choose you. A generic website doesn’t give them one.

2. Stock photos instead of real photography

Stock photos of food stand out a mile off. And when a customer arrives at your restaurant and discovers the dishes aren’t as perfect as in the photo, the disappointment can turn into a bad review. Invest in real photography: the return is enormous.

If your menu is an embedded PDF, you’re losing customers. A PDF isn’t indexable by Google, doesn’t display well on mobile, takes time to load, and makes it awkward to update prices. A properly built digital menu is one of the highest returns on investment in a restaurant website.

4. No booking system

The more steps a customer has to take to book, the more likely they are to give up. Integrating a system like TheFork, Covermanager, or simply a booking form connected to your email, can triple online bookings.

5. Slow load times

Every second of load time counts. According to Google, a 1-second delay in load time reduces conversions by 7%. If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load on mobile, you’re actively losing customers.

How much should a restaurant website cost?

It depends on scope, but as a guide:

Basic website (5 pages): €500–1,500
Full website with digital menu and bookings: €1,500–3,500
Premium project with photography and marketing: €3,500+

Be wary of €200 websites: the result usually turns out expensive in terms of time and reputation.

What you can’t do without

An up-to-date menu — and one that’s easy for you to edit
A booking form or a link to your booking platform
Real photos of the venue and the dishes
Address, phone number and opening hours visible on the homepage
Reviews and ratings built in
Load speed optimised for mobile
Local SEO set up (Google Business Profile)

Conclusion

A good restaurant website isn’t an expense: it’s the most profitable sales tool you can have. The customer searching for you on Google at 7pm on a Friday is ready to spend money that night. The question is whether they’ll choose you or your competitor.

Want to know how to improve yours? Tell us about your project and we’ll put together a proposal with no obligation.

How to Choose the Perfect Website for Your Restaurant in 2026