Websites & local marketing for restaurants and cafés in New York
A menu people can read on a phone, a clear way to book or order, and a Google profile that’s right even on a holiday Monday. We build it and keep it current after launch.
Most people pick a place to eat on their phone, often while standing on the sidewalk. They search “ramen near me” or “brunch in Park Slope” and tap a few spots on Google Maps. Then they scroll the photos and open the menu. If the menu won’t load or the hours look wrong, they move on to the next place.
They open the menu and check prices before anything else, usually with one hand on a phone.
They look at recent photos and the last few reviews to see if the place still feels like the pictures.
They want to know if you take reservations or if they can just walk in tonight.
They compare ordering from you with the delivery apps, and regulars will often order direct if it’s just as easy.
Someone planning a birthday or an office dinner wants a private room with a set menu, and a person to email.
Plenty of guests glance at your health inspection grade and check if you’re open late or on holidays.
Your website must-haves
A menu in real text, not a PDF
A PDF menu is slow on a phone and hard to zoom. Search engines mostly can’t read it, either. We put your menu on the page as text, with sections, prices and dietary notes, so you can change a dish in minutes and people searching for that dish can find it.
Online ordering that keeps more of each order
Delivery apps help new guests find you, but their fees come out of every ticket. A direct ordering page, like the one built into Toast or Square, lets regulars order from you first. We put that link ahead of the apps on your site and your Google profile.
Reservations in one tap
We connect the booking tool you already use, such as Resy, OpenTable or Tock, so the Reserve button works on your site and on Google. If you’re walk-in only, the site says so plainly, and nobody calls to ask.
Hours that match everywhere
Your site, Google, Apple Maps and Yelp should show the same hours. We set holiday and special hours ahead of time, so nobody shows up to a locked door on Thanksgiving or the day after a long weekend.
Photos that look like your food today
Real plates and the people who work there, plus the dining room and the bar. Shoot them on a good phone or hire a photographer. Old photos of dishes you stopped serving cost you trust the moment the plate arrives.
Private dining and catering
A page for parties and catering that lists room sizes and sample menus, with a short inquiry form. These are often your biggest checks, and they deserve their own page instead of a line in the footer.
Getting found on Google and Maps
For restaurants, the map results often matter more than the website itself. People decide from your Google Business Profile: photos, menu link, hours and reviews. We set up and look after that profile, and make sure your site backs it up with the same facts.
Pick the most specific primary category, like “Thai restaurant” or “Coffee shop.” Plain “Restaurant” is too broad.
Put your menu and reservation link on the profile. Add your own ordering link too, so the apps aren’t the only option.
Post fresh photos every month. Answer reviews in a calm, human voice, the hard ones as well as the warm ones.
Fill in the details guests filter by, like outdoor seating, wheelchair access and good for groups.
Add structured data, a small bit of code that tells Google your hours and address in its own language. Your menu can go in it too.
Name your neighborhood and nearby landmarks on the site, so “dinner near Union Square” can lead to you.
Ads that make sense
Most restaurants don’t need a big ad budget. Paid reach works best around something specific: an opening, a new brunch, the catering season or a private room that sits empty on weeknights.
Instagram and Facebook ads shown to people a short walk or ride away, with a photo of the dish rather than the logo.
Google search ads for high-value searches like “private dining room Midtown” or “office lunch catering.”
Local Services Ads now list some restaurant types in some areas. Where it’s open to you, a small test can make sense; Google’s Verified badge isn’t offered for dining.
The ad accounts are opened in your name, so you can see every dollar of spend and every result yourself.
AI that helps on a busy night
Your staff shouldn’t step away from a full dining room to answer a question about parking. A small AI assistant can take the repeat questions and pass everything else to a person.
A website chat that answers hours, menu and directions, labeled as an AI assistant with a “Talk to a person” button. Allergy questions always go to your staff.
After-hours call answering that gives your hours and address and, if the caller asks, texts a link to book or order.
Catering and party inquiries answered within minutes with your menus and next open dates, then handed to your manager.
Review alerts with a suggested reply you edit and post, so no review sits unanswered for weeks.
Rules to respect
New York State’s food allergy law: every menu needs the notice “If you have a food allergy or intolerance, please notify us,” or allergy information for each prepared dish.
Online menus for takeout and delivery must give guests a way to tell you about a food allergy or intolerance, such as a note field at checkout, or show allergy information for each dish.
Your online menu is advertising. Dishes, prices and labels like “vegan” or “gluten-free” should match what the kitchen serves today, because New York law bars misleading ads.
NYC’s calorie posting rule applies only to chains with 15 or more locations in the U.S. under the same name and selling mostly the same menu. The federal rule starts at 20 locations. An independent restaurant isn’t covered.
Those chains also follow the city’s added-sugar warning rule, which names online menus, and the salt-shaker warning for very salty items, which applies to websites where guests can place orders.
Not legal advice. These are the rules we build around as of October 2026. Your lawyer or the NYC Health Department has the final word on what applies to your restaurant.
Common restaurant website mistakes
A PDF menu from two seasons ago, with prices that changed last spring.
Different hours on the website, on Google and on the door.
An “Order online” button that sends regulars straight to a delivery app, even though they’d happily order from you.
An autoplay video or a giant photo slider that takes ages to load on a phone.
No phone number or address on the first screen.
A reservation link that quietly broke after a switch to a new booking tool.
Should my restaurant menu be a PDF or on the web page?
On the page, as text. A text menu loads faster, reads better on a phone and can show up when someone searches for a dish you serve. Keep a printable PDF as well if catering clients ask for one.
Is my own online ordering worth it if I’m already on the delivery apps?
For most places, yes, as a second door. The apps help new guests discover you, and direct ordering lets regulars skip the app fees. NYC caps what the apps charge for delivery and basic listing, but optional extras can raise the total, so direct orders still help.
Can guests book a table straight from Google?
Yes, when your reservation tool works with Reserve with Google. We check whether yours does. If it does, we connect your tool to Google and test the Book button on Search and Maps. If it doesn’t, we add your booking link to the profile instead.
How do I stop Google from showing the wrong hours?
Keep your Business Profile hours current and set special hours before every holiday. Google sometimes accepts edits suggested by the public, so we watch the profile and fix changes you didn’t make.
Do I have to post calories on my menu in NYC?
Only if you’re part of a chain with 15 or more locations in the U.S. under the same name. Independent restaurants aren’t covered by the city’s calorie rule. If you’re growing close to that number, check with your lawyer.
Who owns the website and the Google profile?
You do. The domain and the hosting account are in your name, and so is the Business Profile. We work through the access you give us. If you ever move on, everything stays with you.
Get a free website review
Send us your website address. We’ll look at it the way your customers do and tell you, in plain English, what to fix first.
