Restaurant websites require unique features such as menus, online ordering, and reservation systems that standard WordPress sites do not provide by default. Consequently, if you lack technical expertise, the process of building your own restaurant website may feel daunting.
However, there’s no need to stress – we have assisted numerous restaurant owners in developing successful WordPress websites that effectively attract more customers and boost sales. Through our experience, we have identified the most effective themes, plugins, and design elements for restaurants, as well as those that should be avoided.
This is why we have created this comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you build a restaurant website using WordPress, even if you are a beginner. We will provide you with the precise tools and templates to utilize, along with insider tips to help you steer clear of expensive mistakes.
Why Should You Create a Restaurant Website?
Having a website is one of the most effective ways to promote your restaurant to potential customers while enhancing the experience for your current patrons.
By establishing an online presence for your restaurant, you can showcase your business to individuals searching for dining options and cuisine similar to yours.
Once a potential customer finds your restaurant, a well-designed and informative website will provide all the essential details they need to determine if your establishment is the right choice for them.
Even with strong customer loyalty and a solid local reputation, having a restaurant website can enhance the overall customer experience.
For instance, it can enable customers to make online reservations, submit inquiries through a user-friendly contact form, explore the latest menu offerings, and much more.
By doing so, a restaurant website can keep your customers satisfied, encouraging them to return for months or even years ahead.
With this in mind, we will guide you through the process of easily building a restaurant website using WordPress. Here’s a brief overview of the steps we will discuss in this article:
- What is the Best Website Builder for Your Restaurant?
- Step 1: Setting Up Your Restaurant Website
- Step 2: Create a New WordPress Website
- Step 3: Choose a Restaurant Theme
- Step 4: Design a Custom Home Page
- Step 5: Create an Online Menu for Your Restaurant
- Step 6: Enable Online Food Ordering
- Step 7: Incorporate a Restaurant Booking Form
- Step 8: Add a Contact Us Form
- Step 9: Include a Navigation Menu
- Step 10: Incorporate Social Proof on Your Restaurant Website
- Step 11: Highlight Customer Reviews
- Additional Tips to Enhance Your Restaurant Website
Are You Ready? Let’s Get Started.
What Is the Best Website Builder for Your Restaurant?
Among the various website builders available, WordPress stands out for restaurants, providing an easy-to-use, dependable, and affordable solution to establish your online presence.
WordPress is open-source and free to use, allowing for extensive customization through contributions from the community. By eliminating unnecessary costs, you can invest more in your delicious dishes and exceptional service rather than just website expenses. For more information, check out our article on why WordPress is free.
However, just because WordPress is free doesn’t mean it lacks features. It offers all the essential tools your restaurant needs to thrive online.
WordPress also allows you to add plugins, which are software extensions that enhance its functionality, with over 59,000 available in the WordPress.org library alone.
This includes numerous plugins specifically designed for restaurants, such as those for managing online reservations, showcasing menus, and processing online orders.
Additionally, you can download and utilize all the plugins available on WordPress.org at no cost.
There are numerous WordPress themes tailored specifically for restaurant websites, many of which are available for free.
Beyond cost savings, our research shows that WordPress is the leading website platform globally, powering nearly 43% of all websites online. This ensures you are choosing the best option for your restaurant’s online presence.
It’s important to note that there are two versions of WordPress software, so selecting the right one is crucial.
The first option is WordPress.com, a hosted website builder. With WordPress.com, you won’t need to arrange your own hosting or install the software. You can opt for a free plan or select from various paid plans, and Automattic will manage your website hosting.
The second option is WordPress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress. We recommend using WordPress.org for your restaurant website because it provides full ownership of your site. You can also install third-party plugins without needing a premium plan, including many specifically designed for restaurant owners.
For an in-depth understanding of why we always recommend WordPress, please check out our comprehensive WordPress review or our expert comparison between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
✋ Have you already set up a restaurant website on WordPress.com? Don’t worry! We provide a detailed guide on how to transfer your website from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.
Step 1:Establishing Your Restaurant Website
To launch a WordPress website, you’ll need to secure a domain name and web hosting.
A domain name serves as your website’s address on the internet. This is what customers will enter in their browsers to access your site, such as justeat.com or tacobell.com.
Web hosting is the service that stores your website online. To assist you, we’ve curated a list of the best WordPress hosting options available for restaurant websites.
While the WordPress software itself is free, the costs for hosting and domain names can add up quickly.
A domain name usually costs around $14.99 per year, and hosting plans start at $7.99 per month. This can be a significant expense for restaurants that already have numerous bills and costs to manage.
Bluehost provides a complimentary domain name and offers our readers significant discounts on web hosting. As one of the largest hosting providers globally, Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress.
Additionally, they are offering our readers a free SSL certificate. An SSL certificate is crucial for securely processing online payments, protecting your customers’ credit and debit card information.
You can get started for as low as $2.99 per month by clicking the button below.
Once on the Bluehost website, click the yellow ‘Get Started Now’ button.
This will direct you to the pricing page, where you can select a hosting plan for your website.
We suggest opting for the ‘Starter’ or ‘Business’ plan, as they include all the essential features for building a successful business website.
Simply click the ‘Choose Plan’ button to select your desired plan.
On the following screen, you will need to select a domain name.
Ideally, your domain name should be easy to pronounce, spell, and remember, while also being relevant to your business. Starting with the name of your restaurant is a good idea, but keep in mind that it may already be registered by another entity.
Consider enhancing your domain name by incorporating your restaurant’s location, your personal name, or the specific cuisine you offer.
Looking for assistance in selecting a domain name for your restaurant website? Check out these helpful tips and tools for choosing the perfect domain name.
Once you’ve selected a domain name, you’ll be directed to the Cart page where you can confirm the length of your Bluehost subscription.
We suggest opting for the ‘3 Years’ plan as it provides the most significant savings.
Next, click the ‘Continue to Checkout’ button.
On the following screen, you will need to enter your account details, including your name and email address.
After that, simply enter your payment information to finalize your purchase.
Once completed, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access your web hosting control panel. This dashboard allows you to manage your restaurant website, set up email notifications, and request WordPress support.
This is also where you will install the WordPress software.
Step 2: Create Your New WordPress Website
When you register with Bluehost through our link, WordPress will be automatically installed on your domain name.
To create a new WordPress website, simply click on the ‘Websites’ tab in your Bluehost dashboard.
Next, click on the ‘Add Site’ button.
The Bluehost setup wizard will guide you through the installation process.
First, select ‘Install WordPress’ and click ‘Continue.’
Then, enter a title for your website. Choose a name that is easy to pronounce and remember.
Once you’ve chosen a site title, click ‘Continue.’
Bluehost will prompt you to select a domain name and path for your restaurant website.
If you’re unsure about a domain name, you can opt for ‘Use a temporary domain,’ and Bluehost will assign you a random one, such as wordpress-website-a1b234cd.startyourwpsite.com.
Pro tip: If you start with a temporary domain and later want to switch to a custom one, you can easily purchase it from the ‘Domains’ section in the Bluehost dashboard.
Then, click ‘Continue’ to proceed.
After selecting a domain name, Bluehost will install WordPress for you.
Wait a few minutes for the installation to complete, then click the ‘Edit site’ button to begin setting up your WordPress site.
A new window will pop up asking if you want to migrate an existing WordPress site or initiate a new installation.
Click the ‘Start Setup’ button to proceed.
The setup wizard will prompt you for essential information, including the type of website you intend to create.
Select the category that best describes your restaurant and then click ‘Continue Setup.’
After completing the entire Bluehost WordPress setup wizard, simply click ‘Complete Setup.’
You will then be directed to the site administration area.
You can also access the WordPress dashboard by navigating to yoursite.com/wp-admin directly in your browser.
Important Note: Consider installing some essential WordPress plugins for your restaurant website, such as OptinMonster and WPForms.
If you are using a different WordPress hosting provider like SiteGround, Hostinger, HostGator, or WP Engine, check out our comprehensive guide on how to install WordPress for all major hosting services.
Once WordPress is successfully set up, you are ready to begin creating a top-notch restaurant website.
Step 3: Choose a Restaurant Theme
WordPress themes are professionally designed templates that alter the appearance and functionality of your restaurant website.
Every WordPress site starts with a basic theme. When you visit your website, it will typically have a simple appearance.
This default look may not attract many customers, so it’s advisable to replace the standard WordPress theme with something more appealing.
There are numerous premium and free WordPress themes available for businesses. These can generally be divided into multipurpose themes or those tailored for specific industries.
A restaurant website typically requires unique features such as a menu display, a gallery for food photos, location details, business hours, and additional information.
Considering this, it’s wise to search for a theme specifically created for the food or hospitality sector. To assist you, we’ve compiled a list of the top WordPress themes for restaurants.
You can also enhance your site with a website and landing page builder plugin like SeedProd.
SeedProd is the leading drag-and-drop WordPress page builder that we’ve successfully used to create many partner websites. For further details, check out our comprehensive review of SeedProd.
It offers ready-made templates that allow you to create a professionally designed restaurant website. These templates feature sections for menus, food images, pricing, recipes, and more.
SeedProd offers an AI builder that can generate a personalized restaurant website in mere seconds. For instructions on using this feature, check out our guide on creating a WordPress website with AI.
After selecting a restaurant theme, refer to our comprehensive guide on installing a WordPress theme step by step.
Once your theme is installed, you may want to personalize it by navigating to Appearance » Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
This will open the theme customizer, allowing you to adjust theme settings and view your modifications in real-time.
If you are utilizing one of the latest full-site editing themes, you should go to Appearance »Editor instead.
This will open the full site editor, where you can add, remove, and modify blocks in your WordPress theme, much like you do with pages and posts in the WordPress content editor.
Remember, you can always revisit this screen to continue customizing your theme. You also have the flexibility to completely change your WordPress theme at any time, so you are not confined to your site’s initial design.
Step 4: Design a Custom Home Page
WordPress includes two primary content types: posts and pages.
Posts are typically used to create articles and blogs. By default, your homepage displays these posts in reverse chronological order, ensuring that the most recent content appears at the top unless you choose to reorder them in WordPress.
Utilizing a blog can help strengthen your relationship with customers, enhance your WordPress SEO, and drive more traffic to your restaurant website.
You could write about recipes, share cooking tips, or discuss the latest news in the restaurant industry.
Even if you intend to maintain a blog, it’s advisable not to display it on the homepage. Instead, we suggest creating a custom homepage that effectively introduces your business to new visitors.
For detailed instructions on crafting an engaging restaurant homepage, please refer to our guide on creating a custom homepage in WordPress.
Once you are satisfied with the design of your page, it’s time to set it as your homepage. To do this, navigate toSettings » Readingin the WordPress dashboard.
Here, locate ‘Your homepage settings’ and choose ‘A static page.’
Next, open the ‘Homepage’ dropdown menu and select the page you created in the previous step.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Save Changes.’ Now, when you visit your website, you’ll see the updated home page in action.
If you plan to write blogs, be sure to create a dedicated blog page to showcase your posts. Without this, customers may have difficulty finding your latest WordPress blogs.
Step 5: Create Your Online Restaurant Menu
Even your most loyal customers may want to check your menu occasionally. By publishing and regularly updating your menu online, customers can access it anytime, day or night.
Having an online menu can also persuade new customers to visit your restaurant.
You can upload PDF files to your WordPress website, but downloading a PDF menu can be challenging depending on the customer’s data plan and internet speed.
PDFs are not responsive, making them hard to read on smartphones and tablets. Additionally, you’ll need to upload a completely new PDF each time you add new dishes or change prices.
For this reason, we recommend using SeedProd to create an online menu for your WordPress website. SeedProd also enables you to design a mobile-responsive menu that looks fantastic on all devices.
SeedProd simplifies the process of updating your menu by allowing you to easily add new dishes and prices, remove items that are no longer available, and more.
SeedProd includes a customizable ‘Menu Sales Page’ template that is ideal for showcasing your restaurant’s menu.
For comprehensive guidance, please refer to our detailed guide on creating an online restaurant menu.
Step 6: Implement Online Food Ordering
Many restaurants provide the option for customers to order food online, allowing them to pre-order meals or request delivery.
While it may seem complex, adding online food ordering to your website is straightforward with the WPForms plugin.
WPForms is the top-rated WordPress form builder that enables you to create online order forms for various products and services.
It even offers a pre-designed ‘Takeout Order Form’ that you can tailor to fit your restaurant’s website.
Whenever a customer submits the form, WPForms will automatically notify you, allowing you to begin processing the order immediately.
If you prefer not to accept cash on delivery, WPForms integrates with leading payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, enabling you to securely accept online payments, which is fast and convenient for your customers.
At CanadaCreate, we utilize WPForms for all our forms, including the contact form, website migration form, and our annual reader survey. We have found it to be a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly plugin, making it an excellent choice for your restaurant website as well.
Interested in learning more? Check out our comprehensive WPForms review, where we share our insights and experiences with this widely-used plugin.
When you’re ready to begin, refer to our guide on how to set up food ordering for restaurants in WordPress, which provides step-by-step instructions.
Step 7: Incorporate a Restaurant Booking Form
Nowadays, most customers expect to book appointments through an automated system.
By integrating a booking form into your restaurant website, you can accept reservations 24/7. This ensures you never miss out on a customer simply because you weren’t available to take their call.
Booking forms can also streamline the reservation process by automating tasks such as payment collection and sending email reminders to customers about their upcoming bookings.
You can effortlessly add a restaurant booking form to your website using WPForms. This plugin offers a pre-designed dinner reservation form template that you can easily customize to suit your restaurant’s needs.
WPForms seamlessly integrates with leading email marketing services, allowing you to effortlessly send reservation confirmation emails to your customers.
As the booking date approaches, you can send customers reminder emails, inquire about dietary preferences, provide a pre-order form, and more.
For detailed instructions on how to add a reservation form to your WordPress website, please refer to our comprehensive guide on creating a booking form in WordPress.
Step 8: Include a Contact Us Form
Even if you utilize a WordPress appointment and booking plugin, some customers may prefer to communicate with you directly.
While visitors can call your phone number or email your business directly, we highly recommend incorporating a contact form on your website.
Most top contact form plugins include built-in spam protection, ensuring you won’t receive spam through your contact form. Additionally, a form helps gather consistent information from visitors, providing you with the data needed for a thoughtful response.
The simplest way to add a contact form to your WordPress website is by using the free WPForms plugin.
This plugin features a pre-designed ‘Simple Contact Form’ template that you can easily customize using WPForms’ intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
You can easily insert the form into any page, post, or widget-ready area using the pre-designed WPForms block.
For comprehensive guidance, please refer to our tutorial on creating a contact form in WordPress.
Step 9: Create a Navigation Menu
After adding content to your restaurant website, it’s important to help visitors navigate through the pages and posts by incorporating a navigation menu.
Regardless of the theme you choose, WordPress simplifies the process of adding menus and sub-menus to your restaurant website.
For detailed instructions, check out our article on how to create a navigation menu.
Step 10: Incorporate Social Proof into Your Restaurant Website
Social proof is a powerful way to build customer trust and attract new visitors to your restaurant. People are more inclined to try things that others are purchasing, using, or recommending.
Food enthusiasts enjoy sharing their culinary experiences on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Therefore, we suggest integrating social media feeds into your WordPress website.
Smash Balloon Instagram Feed is among the top Instagram plugins for WordPress, enabling you to effortlessly display user-generated photos on your site.
With this plugin, you can easily create a hashtag feed to display photos that customers have tagged your restaurant in. This includes images of your dishes, venue, and moments of customers enjoying their time at your establishment.
There’s a free version of the Instagram Feed plugin available, allowing you to start building your feed without any cost.
Unsure if this plugin is suitable for your restaurant website? We suggest reading our comprehensive review of Smash Balloon, where we discuss Instagram Feed in depth.
If you choose to use this plugin, our guide on how to create a custom Instagram feed in WordPress will assist you through the setup process step by step.
If your customers frequently tweet about your restaurant, Smash Balloon’s ‘Twitter Feed’ feature can be a valuable asset. It allows you to create feeds based on hashtags and mentions.
For detailed instructions on adding a Twitter feed to WordPress, check out our guide on how to embed tweets in WordPress.
Step 11: Display Customer Reviews
Customer reviews and testimonials can offer potential visitors valuable insights and may address any questions or concerns they might have about dining at your restaurant.
If you have reviews on platforms like Facebook, Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor, you can easily showcase them on your WordPress site using Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro.
Reviews Feed Pro is one of the top customer review plugins for WordPress. We conducted thorough testing on our demo site and had an excellent experience with it. For more details, check out our comprehensive Smash Balloon review.
Reviews Feed Pro automatically gathers reviews and organizes them into an attractive layout on your restaurant website. Additionally, you can easily customize the review feed to seamlessly match the design of your site.
For further information, refer to our tutorial on displaying Google, Facebook, and Yelp reviews.
Important Note:There is also a free version of Reviews Feed that allows you to display reviews from Google and Yelp.
Do you lack reviews to showcase on your website? It’s time to start requesting them from your customers.
WPForms offers a pre-made Restaurant Review Form template that you can easily add to your website to begin collecting customer reviews immediately.
After gathering some reviews, you can create a dedicated customer reviews page on your WordPress site.
Additional Tips to Enhance Your Restaurant Website
By now, you should have a polished restaurant website that can effectively enhance your business growth.
To elevate your site further, here are additional strategies to attract new customers and enhance the experience for your current patrons:
- Install the AIOSEO plugin to boost your website’s SEO performance and increase visibility for potential customers. A free version of AIOSEO is available to help improve your search engine rankings, regardless of your budget.
- Refer to our comprehensive WordPress SEO guide for more strategies and insights to surpass your competition.
- If your restaurant website has slow loading times, potential customers may leave. To address this, check out our ultimate guide on enhancing WordPress speed and performance.
- Enhance your business’s professionalism by establishing a dedicated business phone number and a professional email address.
We hope this tutorial has guided you in creating a restaurant website using WordPress. Next, consider exploring our guide on easily building a multilingual WordPress site to serve international diners, along with our expert recommendations for the best business tools to expand your restaurant website.
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