7 Restaurant Website Mistakes That Are Costing You Reservations

Your Menu PDF Is Driving Customers Away

Someone searches "Italian restaurant Houston" and finds your website. They're hungry, they want to see your menu and maybe make a reservation.

But they land on your homepage and can't find the menu. When they finally click "Menu," a PDF downloads that they have to pinch and zoom to read on their phone. Frustrated, they go back to Google and pick your competitor instead.

This happens thousands of times every week across Houston. And most restaurant owners never realize their website is the problem.

Mistake #1: PDF Menus

This is the #1 mistake I see on restaurant websites.

Why PDFs Are Terrible:

• Can't read on mobile without zooming
• Don't show up in Google searches
• Slow to load
• Can't be updated easily
• Look unprofessional on screens

What to Do Instead:

• HTML menu pages (text on the page, not an image)
• Mobile-responsive design
• Easy to update when prices or items change
• Searchable by Google (helps with SEO)
• Looks professional on any device

Yes, it takes more effort to set up. Yes, it's worth it.

Mistake #2: Buried Contact Information

"Where are you located?" "What are your hours?" "What's your phone number?"

If these take more than 5 seconds to find, you're losing customers.

Every restaurant website needs:

• Address in the header or footer of every page
• Hours clearly displayed (not buried in "About")
• Phone number that's click-to-call on mobile
• Link to Google Maps directions

Pro Tip: Add hours to your Google Business Profile and embed that on your site—it updates automatically and shows holiday hours.

Mistake #3: No Online Reservations

"Call us to make a reservation" is asking customers to do extra work.

Here's what happens:

1. Customer finds your website
2. Wants to book a table for Saturday
3. Sees "Call to reserve"
4. It's 11 PM
5. They book at your competitor who has OpenTable instead

Options for Online Reservations:

• OpenTable (industry standard, has fees)
• Resy (growing platform)
• Yelp Reservations
• Your own simple booking form
• Google Reserve integration

Even a basic contact form that says "Request a Reservation" is better than phone-only.

Mistake #4: Slow Loading Website

Restaurant websites are often the worst offenders for slow loading:

• Giant image files of food
• Auto-playing background videos
• Complicated animations
• Bloated templates

The Reality:

• 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take over 3 seconds to load
• Hungry people are impatient people
• Google penalizes slow sites in search rankings

How to Fix:

• Compress all images (use WebP format)
• Remove auto-playing videos
• Simplify animations
• Use proper hosting (not the cheapest option)

Test your site at PageSpeed Insights and aim for 90+ on mobile.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Mobile Users

Over 70% of "restaurant near me" searches happen on mobile devices. Yet many restaurant websites are designed for desktop and barely work on phones.

Mobile Must-Haves:

• Click-to-call phone number
• Easy-to-read menu (no pinching)
• Simple navigation
• Fast loading
• Map integration for directions
• One-tap to make reservation

Test Your Site: Open your website on your phone. Can you:

• Find the menu in under 3 seconds?
• Read it without zooming?
• Call with one tap?
• Get directions with one tap?
• Make a reservation easily?

If not, your mobile experience needs work.

Mistake #6: Missing or Wrong Information

Nothing frustrates customers more than showing up to find:

• You're closed (hours were wrong online)
• You don't take reservations anymore
• You've moved locations
• You no longer serve that dish

Keep Updated:

• Holiday hours (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
• Seasonal menu changes
• Temporary closures
• Special events that affect normal service
• Price increases

Set a calendar reminder to review your website monthly. It takes 15 minutes and prevents angry Yelp reviews.

Mistake #7: No Photos (Or Bad Photos)

People eat with their eyes first. If your website has:

• No food photos
• Stock photos of generic dishes
• Dark, blurry photos
• Photos from 5 years ago

You're not selling the experience.

Good Restaurant Photography:

• Professional photos of signature dishes
• Interior/ambiance shots
• Action shots (chef cooking, bartender mixing)
• Real customers enjoying meals

DIY Tips If Budget Is Tight:

• Natural lighting (near windows, during day)
• Clean, white plates
• Simple backgrounds
• Multiple angles
• Edit with free apps like Snapseed

Investment Worth Making: $200-500 for a professional photo session yields images you'll use for years.

What Your Restaurant Website Actually Needs

Essential Pages:

1. Homepage - Atmosphere, highlights, clear navigation
2. Menu - HTML text, mobile-friendly, current prices
3. About - Your story, the chef, your concept
4. Contact/Location - Address, hours, phone, map
5. Reservations - Online booking or clear instructions

Essential Features:

• Mobile-responsive design
• Fast loading (under 3 seconds)
• Click-to-call phone number
• Google Maps embed
• Current hours (including holidays)
• Social media links
• Health inspection score (if required in your area)

Nice to Have:

• Online ordering integration
• Gift card sales
• Private dining inquiry form
• Newsletter signup
• Events calendar
• Blog with news and specials

Local SEO: Getting Found When People Are Hungry

Your website is only useful if people find it.

Google Business Profile (Critical)

• Claim and verify your listing
• Complete every single field
• Add photos weekly
• Respond to all reviews
• Post updates (daily specials, events)
• Keep hours accurate (especially holidays)

Keywords to Target

• "[Cuisine type] restaurant [city]"
• "Best [cuisine] in [neighborhood]"
• "Restaurants near [landmark]"
• "[City] restaurants with outdoor seating"
• "Private dining [city]"

Content That Helps

• Neighborhood guide pages
• Event hosting information
• Chef profiles
• Behind-the-scenes posts
• Seasonal menu announcements

The Cost of Not Having a Good Website

Direct Losses:

• Customers who can't find information leave
• Reservations lost to competitors with online booking
• Poor Google ranking means less visibility

Indirect Losses:

• Negative perception of your brand
• Missed catering/private dining inquiries
• Lost word-of-mouth (hard to share a bad website)

The Math:

• Average dinner for 2: $60-100
• Customers lost per week due to website issues: 10-20
• Monthly revenue loss: $2,400-8,000+

Website Cost:

• Professional restaurant website: $2,000-5,000
• Payback period: 1-2 months

What Restaurant Websites Should Cost

Template Solution: $500-1,500

• WordPress theme or Squarespace
• Basic customization
• You manage updates
• Works for casual/fast-casual

Professional Website: $2,000-5,000

• Custom design for your brand
• Menu management system
• Reservation integration
• SEO optimization
• Good for most restaurants

Premium Website: $5,000-15,000

• Fully custom design
• Online ordering integration
• Multi-location support
• Advanced features
• Good for restaurant groups

Quick Wins You Can Do Today

1. Check your Google Business Profile - Is everything accurate?
2. Test mobile menu - Can you read it without zooming?
3. Verify hours - Are holiday hours correct?
4. Click your phone number - Does click-to-call work?
5. Load test - How long does your homepage take?

Ready to Fill More Tables?

Your restaurant's website should make hungry customers excited to visit—not frustrated enough to leave. Every day with a problematic website is revenue walking out the door.

At StephensCode, we build restaurant websites that look as good as your food. Mobile-first, fast-loading, and designed to convert browsers into reservations.

Get a free website review and find out what's costing you covers.

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Kyle Stephens is a Marine Corps veteran and web developer serving restaurants throughout Houston. He builds websites that make hungry customers hit "Reserve" instead of hitting the back button.