Practical guide
A website so guests can find you, and come back
A guest who does not know you almost always does the same thing: they pull out their phone. What they find in a few seconds decides whether they walk through your door or the one next to it.
Here is what future guests look for, why listings and social media are not enough, what a restaurant's page should contain, and how to keep it accurate without spending your evenings on it. If you run a restaurant, you will also see how Ryvka gives you a website ready to welcome your guests.
The phone reflex
Saturday, 7:40 pm. Two friends are looking for somewhere to eat. They do not know the neighbourhood, so they type the name of a restaurant they spotted on the way, or "restaurant near me". They have a minute, maybe less, and one criterion: knowing right away whether it is open, whether it looks good, and how to book.
This tipping point happens on a screen. If the information is clear, they come. If it is missing, outdated or contradictory, they move on to the next one. Your cooking may be excellent: someone still has to tell them, in the place where they are looking.
What a guest looks for, and must find fast
No long speeches needed. The same questions come up, in the same order:
- Is it open now? The first question, often the only one that matters.
- What are the hours for the week? Including closing days and service times.
- Where is it, and how do I get there? A clear address and directions in one tap.
- What does it look like? A few real photos of the room and the plates beat a paragraph.
- How do I book, or call? A phone number, an email, a button that works.
- What is on the menu? A preview of the menu, or direct access to it.
Listings and social media, yes, but not alone
A listing on an online map, an Instagram account, a page on a guide: all of it counts, you stay in charge of each one, and you have no reason to give any of it up.
The point is that they are scattered. Each has its own format and its own way of showing information: your hours have to be kept up to date in several places, and a guest does not know which one to believe. A website of your own plays a different role: it is the reference point everything else can point to, with a single up-to-date version of your hours, your address and your story, presented the way you want.
An address that is yours
Your restaurant's name followed by .fr is what a guest remembers, types or reads on a business card. A website on your own domain name, with the HTTPS padlock, inspires trust from the first second and belongs to you: you can put it on your cards, your window, your social media, your email signature.
It is also what lets a guest come back: they easily find the address, the hours and the way to book without searching again each time.
The checklist for a good restaurant website
You do not need twenty pages. One page, well made, is enough if it contains this:
- A large cover photo and your logo: the atmosphere before the words.
- The name and a tagline that says in one line who you are.
- Open or closed, in real time. The information everyone is looking for, at first glance.
- A short introduction: who cooks, where the menu comes from, what sets you apart.
- The weekly hours in plain view, day by day.
- A photo gallery of the room, the dishes, the team.
- The address with directions, the phone number, the email and your Instagram account.
- A way to write to the restaurant, for a question or a special request.
- Direct access to booking and to the menu, without leaving the page.
- A comfortable display on mobile, because that is where you will almost always be read.
To see what this looks like in real life, open a demo website.
A living website, not a brochure
The real danger of a restaurant website is not that it is simple: it is that it is never updated. A wrong opening time, a forgotten closing day, a photo from last season, and the guest who arrives in front of a closed door will not forgive you.
The golden rule: if changing a piece of information means calling someone or waiting, it will not get changed. The right tool is the one you can open yourself from your phone, between two services, with the change visible right away.
For restaurateurs
With Ryvka, your restaurant has its website
The Ryvka Pro plan includes a website on your own domain: a polished page, designed for the phone first, that automatically adapts to the light or dark mode of the screen.
- Open / Closed, liveA badge that updates according to your hours, to answer the first question.
- Book or see the menuA floating button gives access to booking and the menu without leaving the site.
- You fill it in yourselfPhotos, hours, introduction: everything is set from the Ryvka app, and it goes live instantly.
The website includes the large cover photo, the logo, the name, the tagline, the weekly hours, the photo gallery, the address with directions, the phone number, the email, Instagram and a form to write to the restaurant. It can live on your own domain name, with the HTTPS certificate included. Without a domain, it has a Ryvka address (sites.ryvka.fr/restaurant-name).
Frequently asked questions
Does a restaurant really need a website if it is already on Instagram?
Instagram shows the atmosphere, but it answers practical questions poorly: open or closed, weekly hours, directions, booking. A website is where all that information comes together, up to date, at an address that is yours. The two complement each other.
What should a restaurant website contain?
The essentials fit on one page: a cover photo, the name and a tagline, open or closed, the hours, a photo gallery, the address with directions, the phone number, the email, and access to booking and to the menu.
Do I need a domain name of my own?
It is not mandatory, but it is recommended: an address in your name is easy to remember, inspires trust and belongs to you. With Ryvka, the website can live on your own domain with the HTTPS certificate included, or on a Ryvka address if you do not have one.
How do I avoid a website that is never up to date?
Choose a tool you can edit yourself, from your phone, without going through a provider. With Ryvka, everything is filled in from the app and changes go live instantly.
No commitment
One demo,
and you're off.
Pick a day and a time: we walk you through Ryvka live.
You're all set.
A confirmation email is on its way. You'll then receive a Google Meet invitation at that address.
Open the Google Meet link