- Restaurant website builders at a glance
- Ten website builders for restaurants
- The menu labelling rule chains must follow online and off
- What a restaurant website must have
- Choosing a restaurant website builder in five steps
- Restaurant website mistakes that lose bookings
- Turning visitors into regulars
- My plain advice on restaurant website builders
- Frequently asked questions
The best website builder for restaurants puts your menu, opening hours, location and booking or ordering buttons within one tap on a phone. Restaurant-specific platforms add online ordering, menus that update everywhere and marketing tools, while general builders give more design freedom. This page lists ten in no particular order, then explains how to choose.
Most people visit a restaurant website for three things: the menu, the opening hours and a way to book or order. If any of those takes more than a tap or two on a phone, they'll check a delivery app or a competitor instead. A good restaurant site is less about beauty and more about speed.
These are ten website builders and ordering platforms in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, with independent providers alongside bigger names. Each description comes from the provider's own website, re-checked today. If you want ideas for bringing regulars back, my guide to keeping coffee shop customers hooked works for restaurants too.
Restaurant website builders at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the provider's own site describes a free plan, Trial only means a time-limited trial, and No means the site points to a demo or quote instead.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChowNow | Online ordering and websites | Commission-free ordering | No |
| Flipdish | Restaurant ordering platform | Ordering, apps and kiosks | No |
| GloriaFood | Free online ordering system | Adding ordering for free | Yes |
| iMenu360 | Online ordering and websites | Commission-free ordering sites | No |
| MenuDrive | Online ordering and marketing | Ordering plus marketing | Trial only |
| Owner.com | Restaurant website and marketing | Websites built to rank | No |
| Popmenu | Interactive menus and marketing | Menus that sell | No |
| Slerp | Online ordering for hospitality | UK click and collect | No |
| SpotHopper | Restaurant marketing platform | Bars and restaurants marketing | No |
| Square Online | Store and site builder | Restaurants already using card readers | Yes |
Ten website builders for restaurants
ChowNow
Best for: Independent restaurants that want branded online ordering, apps and a website builder in one platform.
Flipdish
Best for: Restaurants and takeaways that want online ordering, branded apps and in-store kiosks together.
GloriaFood
Best for: Small restaurants that want to add free online ordering and table booking to a website.
iMenu360
Best for: Restaurants that want a commission-free ordering website and marketing support.
MenuDrive
Best for: Restaurants that want online ordering with built-in marketing, starting with a trial.
Owner.com
Best for: Independent restaurants that want a website, online ordering and SEO-focused marketing handled for them.
Popmenu
Best for: Restaurants that want interactive menus, marketing automation and a website that updates with the menu.
Slerp
Best for: UK restaurants and takeaways that want branded web ordering, delivery, click and collect and loyalty.
SpotHopper
Best for: Bars and restaurants that want a website plus marketing tools such as events, menus and social posting.
Square Online
Best for: Restaurants already using card readers from the same provider that want a free online ordering site.
The menu labelling rule chains must follow online and off
Here's a rule that matters as soon as a restaurant brand grows. The FDA says its menu labelling requirements apply to restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name and offering substantially the same menu items. Covered establishments must disclose calories on their menus.
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If you're a single restaurant, this won't apply to you yet. If you're building a group or franchising, pick a website builder whose menus can show calorie and nutrition details neatly, because adding them later across every page is a chore.
What a restaurant website must have
- A menu that's text, not a PDF. Text loads faster, reads better on phones and can be found in search.
- Opening hours and address at the top. They're the most searched details.
- One clear button. Book a table or order online, depending on your business.
- Real photos. Your own dishes and dining room beat stock images every time.
Choosing a restaurant website builder in five steps
- Decide whether online ordering, bookings or both matter most.
- Check how menus update and whether changes appear everywhere at once.
- Ask how orders reach the kitchen and your POS.
- Read the commission or processing terms for online orders.
- Test the full order journey on your own phone.
Restaurant website mistakes that lose bookings
- Out-of-date hours. Update them for holidays and special events.
- Autoplay music or video. It slows the page and annoys visitors.
- Hidden phone number. Make it tappable at the top of every page.
- No local details. Mention your area and nearby landmarks so search engines and visitors can place you.
Claim and update your business listings on maps and review sites too, and make sure the details match your website exactly. When the hours on one site don't match another, people don't know which to trust, and they'll often pick somewhere else.
Turning visitors into regulars
Your website can do more than take a booking. Collect email addresses with a simple offer, share new dishes and events, and give people a reason to come back on a quiet weekday. For more ideas on what turns visitors into customers, this piece on raising your website's conversion rate is a good place to start.
Do you make restaurant website or ordering tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on restaurant website builders
If you mainly want bookings, a simple site with a clear menu and a booking button is enough. If takeaway and delivery matter, choose a platform built around online ordering so orders land in the kitchen without anyone rekeying them.
Either way, keep the menu current. Nothing loses trust faster than a dish that's no longer served or a menu that doesn't match the till.
Related: the kitchen page.
Frequently asked questions
What should a restaurant website include?
A text menu, opening hours, address, a booking or ordering button and real photos, all easy to find on a phone.
Is there a free website builder for restaurants?
Some providers describe free plans or free online ordering, usually with upgrades for extra features.
Should a restaurant menu be a PDF?
Text menus load faster, are easier to read on phones and are easier for search engines to understand than PDFs.
Do restaurant websites need online ordering?
If you offer takeaway or delivery, direct online ordering keeps more of each order and the customer relationship.
Do restaurants have to show calories on menus?
In the US, the FDA's menu labelling rule covers chains with 20 or more locations offering substantially the same menu.
How often should a restaurant update its website?
Whenever the menu, hours or events change. Seasonal menus are a good reason to refresh photos too.
