How to Make a Website for a Restaurant Step by Step

Introduction

A well-made website can be your restaurant’s best waiter: it works 24 hours, shows your menu, accepts reservations and attracts customers searching Google for “where to eat nearby”. If your restaurant doesn’t have a website (or has an outdated one), you’re losing customers.

In this article you’ll see how to create a restaurant’s website step by step.

What a restaurant website needs

An effective restaurant website should have:

• Menu visible and updated.
• Online reservation system.
• Attractive photos of dishes and the venue.
• Hours and location with map.
• Phone and WhatsApp contact.
• Information about the restaurant (history, team).
• Optimized for mobile (most people search from their phone).

Most people searching for a restaurant do it from mobile, near mealtime. Your website must load fast and look perfect on mobile.

Step 1: Domain and hosting

Choose a domain with your restaurant’s name. If possible, with .com or country-specific extension.

At miHosting you can register the domain and contract hosting together, with WordPress and SSL included.

Step 2: Install WordPress and choose a theme

Install WordPress with Softaculous (one click). Then choose a theme designed for restaurants: there are specific themes that include templates for menu, reservations and galleries.

Popular themes for restaurants: Astra, Divi, OceanWP. All have restaurant demos you can import.

Step 3: Create the digital menu

The menu is the most important thing. You have two options:

Option 1: Menu on a page

Create a page with all categories and dishes. Simple and quick to update.

Option 2: Menu with specialized plugin

Use a plugin like Five Star Restaurant Menu that lets you organize dishes by categories, add prices and photos. More professional.

The menu must be easy to update. If you change prices or dishes frequently, a specialized plugin saves you time.

Step 4: Configure online reservations

To accept reservations from the website:

• Free plugin: Restaurant Reservations or Amelia. They allow choosing table, day and time.
• External service: TheFork or CoverManager. They integrate with your website.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of a reservation form on a restaurant website]

Online reservations reduce phone calls and increase bookings outside service hours.

Step 5: Add quality photos

Food enters through the eyes. Upload professional photos of:

• Star dishes.
• The venue’s interior.
• The team and chef.
• Events or special menus.

Photos must be optimized for web (WebP format, low weight). A 5 MB photo takes long to load on mobile.

Step 6: Configure location and hours

Add a Google map with your location and opening hours. Most visitors want to know where you are and when you open.

You can embed the Google map with an iframe or use a plugin.

Step 7: Configure contact

Add:

• Phone visible (clickable on mobile).
• WhatsApp (with floating button).
• Email contact.
• Social media (Instagram is key in hospitality).

Step 8: Online orders (optional)

If you want to accept delivery or pickup orders:

• WooCommerce with a food delivery plugin.
• External services like Glovo or Uber Eats (high commissions but more visibility).

If you have your own ordering system on your website, you avoid delivery platform commissions. But you need to handle your own marketing.

Step 9: Local SEO

So they find you on Google:

1. Create your Google Business Profile (free).
2. Fill in all details: address, hours, photos, menu.
3. Ask your customers for reviews.
4. Optimize your website for searches like “restaurant [your city] [your food type]”.

Local SEO is what makes you appear on Google Maps when someone searches “restaurants near me”.

Useful tips

• The menu must be easy to read on mobile. Large font, sufficient contrast, no PDFs to download.
• Update the website when the menu changes. An outdated menu generates frustration.
• Ask for Google reviews. Reviews are the #1 local SEO factor.
• Use Instagram. Hospitality sells with images. Link your Instagram on the website.
• Respond to reviews, good and bad.

Common problems

No one finds my restaurant on Google

Create your Google Business Profile and optimize your website for local SEO. Without a Google listing, you don’t appear on Maps.

Reservations don’t arrive

Check that the form works and that notification emails arrive. Test the whole process yourself.

The menu is hard to update

If you use a static page, switch to a menu plugin. It’s easier to maintain.

The website is slow on mobile

Optimize photos (they’re the #1 culprit), enable cache and use a lightweight theme.

Customers ask for the menu via WhatsApp

It’s a sign your website doesn’t show the menu well. Make it more visible and easy to consult.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know programming to make my restaurant’s website?

No. With WordPress and a restaurant theme you can make it yourself.

How much does a restaurant website cost?

If you do it yourself: domain + hosting (about €50-100/year). If you hire a professional: from €300-800 depending on complexity.

Menu in PDF or on the website?

On the website, always. The PDF has to be downloaded, is slow on mobile and hard to update. The menu on the website loads fast and updates in seconds.

Can I accept online orders without commissions?

Yes, with your own system (WooCommerce + food plugin). But you need to handle marketing yourself.

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes, totally free. It’s the most important tool for a local restaurant.

Your restaurant, visible on the internet

A well-made website attracts customers, facilitates reservations and differentiates you from the competition. You don’t need something complicated: clear menu, reservations, photos and location are the foundation.

If you prefer us to handle it, at miHosting we design your restaurant’s website from €99, with domain, hosting and email included. Open a ticket from your client panel and we’ll advise you.