What Makes a Good Restaurant Website? (And Why Most Still Get It Wrong)

Uncomfortable reality check—most independent restaurant websites don’t pull their weight as a sales tool. They look okay from the outside but are often useless when it comes to actually driving traffic, filling tables, or converting curious browsers into customers. It’s like hiring a front-of-house manager who just stands there and smiles.

Here’s the truth: your website should be your most consistent, loyal, and persuasive team member. It doesn’t sleep. It doesn’t call in sick. It does not ‘forget’ to explain the specials. But most sites out there? They’re pretty pictures on broken marketing systems.

So, what makes a good restaurant website? And why do so many owners—smart, hardworking, passionate operators—still miss the mark in driving new and repeat customers with their site?

Let’s break it down (suggested mental visual- MC Hammer in parachute pants doing the sideways quickstep thing).

Your Website Isn’t Built to Convert

Too many restaurant sites are all style, no substance. Beautiful images, slick menus, maybe even a fancy intro video—but no clear next step for the guest. When someone lands on your homepage, you’ve got about 3-5 seconds to show them exactly what you do and what they need to do. Reserve a table. Order online. Join the VIP club. If those aren’t obvious and friction-free, you’re bleeding opportunity.

And don’t forget about mobile. More than 70% of your traffic is coming from phones. If your site looks like a mess on mobile, you’re done before the game starts. A slow load time? Same story. Guests don’t wait. They bounce (as in the technical web design bounce...).

Your Menu Should Sell, Not Just Inform

Clicking a link and getting hit with a PDF menu? That is a dead end in 2025. Menus should be integrated, scannable, and built for speed (page loading speed and crawl-ability). Highlight your signature dishes. Use words that get noticed. Don’t just list ingredients—paint a picture. Make them want that short rib. Make them crave your house-made gnocchi.

And please list your prices. Transparency builds trust. If you’re hiding costs, people assume the worst and will eat somewhere else because of uncertainty.

People Can’t Find the Basics

You’d be shocked how many restaurant websites bury the essentials: location, hours, phone number, and reservation links. These should be visible the second someone lands on your site—preferably right in the hero section or fixed in your header. No dropdown menus. No “Contact Us” treasure hunts.

Think like a guest in a hurry. Can they find what they need in two seconds flat? If not, fix it now.

You’re Not Telling a Story

Most restaurant sites feel like resumes—cold, sterile, and forgettable. But people don’t come to you just for food. They come for experience. For connection. For a good reason to get off their couch.

So tell them why you exist. Share your origin story. Let your values bleed through your copy. Talk about the grit, the grind, the late nights and long shots that got you here. That emotional connection is what separates you from the chain down the block.

The best restaurant websites make you feel something. Make yours do that.

You’re Not Capturing Leads

This one’s a dagger. You pay for traffic—whether through SEO, social, or word of mouth—but most sites let that traffic leave empty-handed. No email signup. No SMS opt-in. Nothing.

Your website should be a lead capture machine. Offer a first-visit perk. Promote your next tasting event. Get them into your ecosystem so you can market to them long after they’ve left your site.

Without lead capture, you’re burning money every single day.

You’ve Ignored SEO—Or Never Learned It

Search Engine Optimization sounds like tech-bro nonsense, but it’s really just this: making your site easy for Google (and guests) to find. Add your city to your page titles. Use keywords your guests are searching for — “best pizza in [your town]”. Describe your images in meta titles. Connect your site to your Google Business profile.

And then there’s schema markup. It sounds complicated, but here’s the deal: schema is just code you add behind the scenes that tells Google exactly what your website contains. When you use schema to label your menu items and reviews, Google can display that info right in search results. That means your specials, your guest ratings, even your prices can show up before someone even clicks your site. It's like giving Google a cheat sheet so it knows how to promote you better. Your guests might not see it, but search engines absolutely do—and that can give you a big leg up.

That sounded good, but how do I do that? Ask ChatGPT to “create schema markup for my restaurant’s menu and reviews” and it will generate the right code to copy and paste into your website. ChatGTP can also give you step-by-step instructions on how to install the schema onto your website.

SEO isn’t sexy. But neither are empty tables.

Your Site Was Designed Once—Then Left to Die

A great restaurant site is never done. It should evolve with your menu, your events, your story. Haven’t updated your site in six months? Google notices. So do your guests. Seasonal menus, holiday hours, promotions, team spotlights—all of that should live on your site.

Static websites are dead websites. Keep it moving.

So… Is Your Website Actually Working?

Here’s the gut check: Are you getting reservations through your website every day? Are guests joining your email or text list? Are people walking in and saying “I found you online”?

If not, your site isn’t doing it’s job.

And you deserve better.

Let’s Fix It—Together

This stuff is fixable. You don’t need to burn it down and start over. You just need someone who knows what works—and what doesn’t.

That’s why I offer 1-on-1 Website Reviews for independent restaurant owners who are done guessing. I’ll walk through your site with you, no BS, no fancy tech talk. Just straight-up advice on what to fix, what to ditch, and how to turn your website into a table-filling machine.

Book Your Free Website Review Here

You’ve already built a great restaurant. Let’s make sure your website is showing up to let everyone know.