Short answer: A restaurant website needs at least 7 features, including the menu, online booking, opening hours, a map and contact options. A single-location brand site costs about NT$15K–50K; adding online booking and a menu back office costs about NT$120K–250K and 6–10 weeks; multi-location ordering, takeaway and loyalty points start at NT$300K.
The pain: customers want the menu but find a six-month-old Facebook post
The most common problem for restaurant owners is that customers can find you but not the information they need. On a Friday evening, someone sees your restaurant on Google Maps and wants to know whether you have high chairs, can seat 8 and how much the set menu is. The link opens a Facebook page with last year's menu photos; booking means calling, and nobody answers during the rush. They book the place next door. A good restaurant website answers those three questions within 10 seconds.
Must-have features for a restaurant website: all 7 matter
These 7 features map directly to the questions customers ask before booking.
| Feature | Why it matters | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Text menu with prices | Decides whether they come | Manage in a back office, not just images |
| Online booking | Fewer calls, no missed bookings | Single locations can embed a booking platform |
| Hours and closures | Prevents wasted trips | Keep in sync with the Google Business Profile |
| Map, transport, parking | Lowers effort to find you | Embed a map and name the nearest parking |
| Interior photos and seating | Matters for groups and dates | Note private rooms, high chairs, accessibility |
| Private events and groups | Highest-value customers | Form for headcount, budget and date |
| Contact and LINE | Handles special requests | One-tap call and one-tap LINE |
Worthwhile add-ons vs unnecessary ones: build what brings bookings
There is one test: does it increase bookings or average spend?
- Worth it: online deposits (fewer no-shows), takeaway pre-orders, online gift vouchers, loyalty points, multilingual menus in tourist areas.
- Worth it: allergen and vegetarian labels for each dish, which cut repeated questions at the table.
- Unnecessary: intro animations and background music that slow mobile loading.
- Unnecessary: a blog nobody updates; post on the Google Business Profile instead.
- Unnecessary: a dedicated ordering app for one location; nobody downloads an app for one restaurant.
Three budget tiers: decided by locations and deposits
Most single locations get the best value from the standard tier; only chains need advanced.
| Tier | Cost | Timeline | Includes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | NT$15K–50K | 2–4 weeks | One-page or up to 5-page site, menu, map, booking link | Newly opened single locations |
| Standard | NT$120K–250K | 6–10 weeks | Menu back office, online booking, events form, language switch, basic SEO | 1–3 locations with frequent group bookings |
| Advanced | From NT$300K | 12–16 weeks | Takeaway pre-orders and payment, deposits, loyalty, multi-location management, LINE notifications | Chains with 4+ locations |
Expect about NT$3,000–15,000 a year for domain, hosting and SSL; online card payments cost about 2–3% of transaction value.
Restaurant-specific issues and regulations
Accurate labeling matters because what you publish on your website counts as a public statement.
- Meat origin labeling: under rules from Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration, food service venues must label the country of origin for dishes containing beef or pork; mirror the in-store labels on your online menu.
- Allergens and vegetarian info: state items such as peanuts or shellfish and note that in-store information prevails when ingredients change.
- Claims: the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation prohibits false or exaggerated food claims; avoid health claims such as "lowers blood pressure."
- Booking personal data: tell customers why you collect names and phone numbers and how long you keep them; never share booking sheets publicly.
- Consistent prices: if website, delivery platform and in-store prices differ, explain clearly to avoid disputes.
FAQ
Do restaurants need a website if they have a Google Business Profile?
Yes. The profile is the sign at the door; the website holds the full menu, private events and booking rules. Link them both ways.
Should we build booking or use a platform?
Single locations should start with a booking platform. Consider custom work for multiple locations, deposits or loyalty points.
Our prices change often. What should we do?
Manage the menu in a back office, not as images. Price changes go live in a minute and Google can read the text.
How long does a restaurant website take?
Starter 2–4 weeks, with booking and menu back office 6–10 weeks, with ordering and membership 12–16 weeks.
ScriptWalker's restaurant website options
ScriptWalker (a Taiwan-based Laravel/Flutter custom development studio) builds restaurant websites from NT$15,000, with the standard tier including a menu back office and online booking. For takeaway pre-orders, deposits and loyalty points, custom systems start at NT$80,000 and can connect ECPay payments and LINE Official Account notifications. We review your Google Business Profile and current booking method first, then recommend a starting tier so you do not pay for features you will not use.
Next step: tell us your menu and number of locations
Share your number of locations, current booking method and menu, and in a free 30-minute call we will recommend a tier and timeline for your restaurant website:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 0916-224-047
- LINE: @ufv9089p