I recently read an article about an NYC restaurant that compared video footage of diner behavior from 2004 to how guests behaved in the same restaurant in 2014. They found that patrons spend almost an hour longer in their restaurant today than they did 10 years ago! However, the reason for the increase isn’t because it takes longer to cook and serve the food. It is because patron behavior has changed. This started me thinking about how the evolution of the “foodie” has impacted restaurants, and whether the impact is mostly good or mostly bad.

Are you missing out on restaurant revenue? You may be if your restaurant doesn’t have an online ordering system! Read on to discover how adding online ordering can boost your revenue for your restaurant.

We’re pumped to announce the launch of Mister Collins newly redesigned restaurant website!
We worked with Andy Yeager a Partner at Tapco Restaurant Group to create a clean, modern site design that perfectly captures the essence of Mister Collins brand. We originally met Andy when he contacted Webdiner to create a website for Tap42.com, and he liked our work so much he immediately thought of us when they decided to redesign the Mister Collins website.

In our last three posts, we discussed taking the mystery out of restaurant web design. We explained the design process; gave tips on choosing the right design partner; and provided three must haves for a web design that brings guests to your restaurant. So for today’s post we’re putting it together into the five decisions we know you’ll need to make before starting your restaurant website design or redesign project.

Have you seen restaurant websites that leave you less than impressed? I’m sure you have if you’ve spent any time at all searching for eateries on the internet.
Poorly designed websites leave a bad taste in the mouth of visitors and may contribute to low scores on internet search results. So how do you know when a restaurant site is well designed? Below are three things that every amazing restaurant web design must have!

189 million!

That’s the count of results I get when I Google “restaurant web design”—ouch! So how are you supposed to decide on the best web design firm with that many options to choose from?

We’re going to outline some important factors you should consider before hiring a company to design your restaurant site—or perhaps deciding to make your own.

Which Method Works best for Your Restaurant

First let’s look at the options you have when shopping for a web design for your eatery.

Can you tell good restaurant web design from bad? I bet you know a poorly designed site when you see one, but have you ever wondered why some sites are engaging and others leave you cold?

In our series on 21st century website design for restaurants we’re going to take the mystery out of what it takes to make a website awesome!

It Starts with the Menu

Designing a website for your restaurant is a lot like creating your menu. It takes careful planning and execution to get it just right! Like your menu, impressive web design is a pinch of art and a dash of science. Throw in a whole lot of knowledge, love, and creative work and you have a winning design!

Going green doesn’t have to be hard, intimidating, or expensive! In fact, you can make a difference by implementing small changes to the way you shop for food for your restaurant.

Locally Grown Sustains Your Restaurant

Buying produce and meat from farmers in your area significantly reduces your restaurant’s impact on the environment. Why? Because shipping ingredients, across the globe or even across the state requires large amounts of petroleum based products (oil & gas), and produces toxic air pollution from vehicle emissions. Partnering with food producers in your area reduces this negative environmental impact.

There is a wealth of other benefits to buying local. You lose less food to spoilage because fresh picked fruits and vegetables last longer than ones that have been shipped. They are more nutritious since produce starts to lose healthy nutrients from the moment it’s picked. Your purchasing dollars are contributing to the economic health of your local community, and that creates more jobs for your friends and neighbors.

Buying Seasonal is Better Eats

Did you know that some produce that is labeled as “fresh” is actually stored for months after harvest? I don’t know about you, but I was shocked (and grossed out) when I found out that apples are refrigerated and dipped in chemicals so they can be stored for up to 10-months after being picked!

Green is Sustainable
I think it’s important that we define what it means when we say, “going green” just so we’re all on the same page. Going green means creating a restaurant that minimizes the negative impact on the environment. You’ll often also hear this referred to as environmentally sustainable.

Sustainable Restaurants have a Competitive Advantage
People love supporting eco-friendly companies, and being truly green can give you a competitive advantage over rival restaurants. I say, “Truly green” because there are unscrupulous food-service businesses that advertise themselves as being sustainable when they really aren’t. In my opinion, these restaurants are doing a disservice to their patrons, and eventually the customers will catch on and abandon them for honest eateries that care about the environment.