What Every Restaurant Website Needs in 2025

In 2025, your restaurant’s website isn’t just a place to list your menu — it’s where your brand, food, and personality come to life. At JC Designs, we’ve helped some of Chapel Hill’s most beloved spots stand out online, and one thing is clear: the best websites today don’t just look good — they work hard.

We’ve seen firsthand what works (and what doesn’t), so here’s what every restaurant website should have this year:

First, it has to feel fast and look great on mobile.

Studies show that about 70% of customers are searching on their phones. If your site takes forever to load, they’re gone. A mobile-first, friendly design ensures they can find what they need without pinching, zooming, or bouncing.

Your menu needs to be more than just a PDF.

It is past time to retire the downloadable menus. In 2025, customers expect:

• Menus that are searchable and easy to browse

• Built-in dietary filters (gluten-free, vegan, etc.) if these are special to your business.

• Pages that show up when people Google specific dishes

We’ve built plenty of menus that don’t just look great — they bring in traffic.

Online ordering and reservations should be seamless.

If people have to leave your site to order or call to book a table, you’re creating friction. You should be able to integrate or embed systems like Toast, Square, OpenTable, or even in-house options right on the site. One click, and they’re eating.

Beautiful photography makes a big difference.

People eat with their eyes first — and your website is often their first bite. We always encourage restaurants to invest in high-quality food photography that captures the emotion, texture, and energy of your space. A few great shots can be the difference between a visitor clicking out or clicking “order now.”

If you do not have high-quality photography, do not use photos.

Tell your story.

One of the most underrated parts of a restaurant site is the “About” page. People want to know:

• Who’s behind the food?

• What inspired your menu?

• What makes your place different from the one next door?

We always help our clients write this in a way that feels honest and memorable.

Don’t forget the backend.

Things like local SEO, Google Maps embedding, and structured data all boost your visibility — but accessibility is just as important. In 2025, ADA compliance isn’t just a legal box to check — it’s part of creating a digital space that’s truly welcoming. That means readable fonts, strong color contrast, screen-reader support, and alt text for every image. But don't worry! We handle all of this for you!

If your website hasn’t been updated in the last few years, it’s time. The best restaurant websites in 2025 are clean, clear, and built for real people — not just to look nice, but to bring in business.

Want help getting there? Let’s talk. At JC Designs, we build restaurant sites that are as unique and hardworking as the teams behind them. Let's get started here!