I’ve been designing websites for restaurants, cafes, wineries, and hospitality businesses for over two decades now…
And in that time, I’ve seen the same mistakes made over and over again – often by businesses who’ve paid good money for something that looks nice but doesn’t actually do its job.
Not many people know this, but I actually have a small history in hospitality.
Back when I was studying web design at TAFE, I had to make ends meet by working as a pizza maker at a local joint. One of my fellow workers, an old Greek bloke named Jim, used to call me “Van Gogh” because my pizzas looked so good! I couldn’t help it – the ingredients had to be distributed evenly for each slice. An overloaded slice – too many olives here, or a lack of salami there caused my design-brain to say “no!”. So I took it as a compliment! It probably meant I was the slow one on busy nights.
But the point is, I’ve been on both sides of the counter. I know what it’s like when the Friday rush hits and you’re juggling dockets while some customer asks a question they could’ve answered themselves if your website wasn’t useless.
So let’s talk about what actually works. Not the generic “make sure it’s mobile-friendly” advice you’ll find on every other blog. The real stuff. The things I’d tell you over a beer if you asked me why your bookings are down.
The Problem With Most Restaurant Websites
Here’s a hard truth: most restaurant websites are built by people who’ve never worked in hospitality. They look at what other restaurant websites do, copy that formula, and call it a day.
The result? Every second restaurant site looks identical. Moody food photography slider at the top. “Our Story” section nobody reads. A menu that’s either a PDF (terrible) or buried three clicks deep (also terrible). Contact form that goes to an email nobody checks.
Sound familiar?
The thing is, your website isn’t a brochure. It’s a booking machine. Or at least, it should be. Every design decision should be asking one question: does this make it easier or harder for someone to become a customer?
What Actually Works
Put the Important Stuff Up Front
When someone lands on your site, they’re usually trying to do one of four things: check the menu, make a booking, find your location, or see your hours. That’s it. Everything else is secondary.
You’d be surprised how many Sunshine Coast wineries bury their cellar door hours three pages deep. It’s a five-second fix that can genuinely change how many people walk through the door. Stick those hours on the homepage, add a “Book a Tasting” button that follows you down the page, and suddenly the phone starts ringing again. It’s not rocket science – it’s just thinking about what your customers actually need.
Menus Need to Be Readable, Not Downloadable
PDFs are the enemy of hospitality websites. I know, I know – “but it’s easier to update.” Sure. It’s also impossible to read on a phone without pinching and zooming like you’re trying to defuse a bomb.
Your menu should be HTML text. Searchable. Readable. Accessible. If someone’s standing outside your cafe trying to see if you have gluten-free options, they shouldn’t need to download a 4MB PDF and squint at it in the sun.
Photos That Show the Experience, Not Just the Food
Every restaurant has photos of their signature dish. Close-up, shallow depth of field, garnish glistening. And yeah, that’s fine. But what actually sells the experience is context.
Show me the view from the deck. Show me the cosy corner booth. Show me real people laughing over wine. That’s what makes someone think “I want to be there” rather than just “that food looks nice.”
Speed Matters More Than You Think
I’ve audited hospitality sites that take 8-10 seconds to load because someone decided to use twelve full-resolution images on the homepage. By the time that page loads, your potential customer has already Googled your competitor.
A good hospitality website should load in under 3 seconds. Ideally under 2. That means optimised images, minimal plugins, and no unnecessary animations that make the page feel “fancy” but actually just make it slow.
What Doesn’t Work
Template Websites With “Personality” Added Later
I get it. Templates are cheap. And some of them even look decent out of the box. But here’s the problem – they’re designed to work for everyone, which means they’re optimised for no one.
I’ve lost count of how many hospitality businesses I’ve met who bought a template, spent months trying to make it feel like “them,” and ended up with something that still looks like every other template site. By the time you’ve paid for the template, paid someone to customise it, paid to fix the things that broke when they customised it… you could’ve just had something custom built from the start. (If you’re wondering what that actually costs, I’ve broken it down here.) It’s part of a bigger issue I call the death of personality in small business websites – and hospitality is one of the worst offenders.
Autoplay Video and Music
Please, for the love of all things holy, stop doing this. Nothing makes me close a tab faster than unexpected audio. Your ambient jazz soundtrack might set the mood when someone’s sitting in your restaurant – it’s incredibly annoying when they’re sneakily checking your menu at work.
Trying to Be Everything
Your website doesn’t need a blog, an online store, a loyalty program, an events calendar, and a virtual tour all at once. I’ve seen restaurants try to cram everything onto their site and end up with a cluttered mess that does nothing well.
Start with the basics. Do those brilliantly. Add features later if you actually need them – not because your cousin said you should have a blog.
What I’d Do Differently
If I was building a hospitality website from scratch right now – for a restaurant, a winery, a brewery, whatever – here’s where I’d focus:
Make booking stupidly easy. One click from anywhere on the site. Phone number visible on every page. If you use a third-party booking system, make sure it doesn’t look like it was designed in 2005.
Prioritise mobile. Over 70% of restaurant website traffic comes from mobile devices. Design for phones first, desktop second. Not the other way around.
Show personality from the first second. Your website should feel like walking into your venue. If you’re a laid-back beach cafe, your site shouldn’t look like a fine dining establishment. Match the vibe.
Keep it simple. The best hospitality websites I’ve built are often the simplest. A strong hero image. Clear navigation. Easy-to-read menu. Prominent booking option. Done.
Local SEO matters. If you’re a restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, you need to show up when someone Googles “restaurants near me” or “best cafe Noosa.” That means proper Google Business setup, location-specific content, and a site that’s technically sound.
The Bottom Line
Your website is often the first impression someone has of your business. It’s the digital front door. And too many hospitality businesses are leaving that door squeaky, hard to open, and painted a colour that doesn’t match the building.
A great restaurant website isn’t about chasing trends or cramming in features you don’t need. It’s about understanding what your customers need, making it ridiculously easy for them to get it, and looking damn good while doing it.
If you’re running a hospitality business on the Sunshine Coast and your website isn’t pulling its weight, I’d love to have a chat. No sales pitch – just an honest look at what’s working, what isn’t, and whether it’s worth fixing. Get in touch and let’s see what we can do.