GUIDE

How much does a restaurant website cost

A restaurant website can cost a little or a lot, depending on how you build it. Here is a straight answer, and how to get a menu, ordering and reservations without the big bill.

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THE SHORT ANSWER

From thousands to one flat price

A custom agency restaurant website often runs into the thousands, plus separate bills for online ordering and reservations, and the delivery apps skim 15 to 30 percent on top. Instaurant gives you the menu, online ordering and reservations, built for you, at one flat $79.90/mo with no per-order cut.
WHAT DRIVES THE COST

Six things that set the price

The menu
A real, updatable online menu is essential. Paying a developer to build one is where a lot of cost hides.
Online ordering
Third-party ordering apps often take a cut of every order, which quietly dwarfs any build fee over time.
Reservations
A booking system is another common add-on with its own monthly fee if it is not built in.
Photos and design
Good food photography and a design that sells the room add cost but earn it back in orders.
Hosting and upkeep
Hosting, security and updates are ongoing costs that a managed platform folds into one price.
Mobile and speed
Most diners are on a phone. A slow site loses orders, so speed is worth paying for, or getting built in.
WHY ONE PRICE WINS

Why the flat price is the deal

The headline build fee is rarely the real cost. Ordering cuts, reservation fees and app subscriptions are what add up. One flat price that includes them all is what actually keeps a restaurant website affordable.
No per-order cut
Ordering apps skim every order for years. Taking orders on your own site keeps that money in the till.
Everything included
Menu, ordering, reservations and hosting in one price means no stack of separate app bills to manage.
Update it yourself
Change a price or a special in seconds without paying a developer, which saves money every week.
COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions about restaurant website cost

It ranges widely. A custom agency build often runs into the thousands, while a builder is cheaper but adds app fees. Instinctor is one flat price from $79.90/mo with the core features included.
Usually not the build itself, but the extras: online ordering apps that take a cut of every order, separate reservation fees, and app subscriptions that stack up month after month.
With third-party ordering apps, yes, often a cut of every order. Taking orders on your own site avoids that, so more of each order stays with the restaurant.
A builder can work, but you often bolt on separate ordering and booking apps that raise the real cost. A platform with those built in is usually cheaper overall.
Yes, with the right platform. Changing a price or marking a special sold out should take seconds and cost nothing, rather than a call to a developer each time.
A real online menu, online ordering with no per-order cut, reservations, hosting and mobile speed, all in one flat price from $79.90/mo.
KEEP READING

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Read next: How to make a restaurant website  ·  Take online orders for a restaurant  ·  See all solutions and guides

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