Restaurant website without programming: What really needs to be included

What guests are looking for

Anyone who wants to create a restaurant website often thinks of image galleries, the history of the house, and the philosophy of the kitchen. But guests usually come with very practical questions: What is there to eat? How much does it cost? Is it open today? How do I get there, and can I reserve?

These questions must be answered on the mobile phone within a few seconds. Everything else is nice, but secondary.

Menu, times, directions, contact

• Menu as plain text, not just as PDF – readable on mobile phones and understandable for Google.
• Opening and kitchen hours, clearly visible on the homepage.
• Address with map link, notes on parking and public transport access.
• Phone number to tap and an email address.
• A few good photos of dishes and the dining area.

If you can only manage one page, then this one: Name, a sentence about the restaurant, menu, hours, address, phone. That is more than many restaurants offer online.

Reservation and inquiries

How guests can make reservations should be clear on every page. For small businesses, a phone number and a note about when someone is reachable are often sufficient. Those who receive many group inquiries benefit from a form where date, number of people, and wishes are included.

Same-QR offers a contact template with a form for this. Inquiries arrive collected at your end, and you respond at a time that suits the operation. A reservation system with a table plan does not replace it, but for parties and groups it is often sufficient.

Imprint and data protection

In Germany and Austria, a business website requires an imprint and generally a privacy policy. If you use a contact form, menus, or embedded content, you should adapt the privacy policy accordingly. Templates are available from chambers and associations; if in doubt, consulting an expert is worthwhile.

Small solution instead of large project

A website does not need to be complex. Website builders enable a simple page without programming knowledge. For a start, a combination of a Google Business Profile and some hosted pages can be sufficient.

With Same-QR you can, for example, create a menu, an opening hours and directions page, and an all links page that consolidates the menu, reservations, and Instagram. These pages are intended for guests who scan a QR code or follow a link. They do not appear in Google search on purpose – anyone who wants to be found there with their menu needs an additional website. The advantage: You can later switch the printed code to the new website without reprinting.

Common mistakes on restaurant websites

• Menu only as a large PDF or as an image.
• Opening hours are hidden deep in a subpage.
• Outdated information, such as a Christmas menu in March.
• Phone number as an image that cannot be tapped on a mobile phone.
• Slow loading times due to large photos or videos.

Open your website once a month on your mobile phone and ask yourself the four questions of a guest: What is there, what does it cost, when is it open, how do I get there? If you find everything in half a minute, the page is good.

Frequently asked questions