Restaurant Website Guide: Take Direct Bookings & Orders in 2026

Delivery apps and booking platforms take up to 35% of every order. A restaurant website lets you take direct bookings and orders — keeping the profit and the customer relationship. Here's how to do it right.

The commission problem

Apps like Deliveroo and Just Eat are great for discovery but brutal on margins. We broke down the real numbers in Deliveroo commission rates and how London restaurants are fighting back. The fix isn't to quit the apps overnight — it's to build a direct channel you own.

What a restaurant website needs

- Your menu — clear, photographed, always up to date - Direct table booking — so diners reserve without a phone call or a platform fee - Direct ordering (for takeaways) — collection and delivery without app commission - Location, hours, parking — the practical info diners search for - Photos — of the food and the room; people eat with their eyes

Take bookings directly

A booking widget on your own site means no per-cover fee to a reservation platform. Diners pick a time, you get the booking, and the relationship is yours. Pair it with deposits for large groups to cut no-shows.

Drive repeat business

Once a customer has ordered or booked directly, you can bring them back with email marketing and a loyalty scheme — impossible when the app owns the customer.

Get found locally

Diners search "restaurants near me" and "cuisine] [town]". A fast website plus a complete [Google Business Profile gets you into the Google map pack for free.

The easy way

A done-for-you website builds your menu, booking, and ordering for you — you just answer questions about your restaurant. No agency fees, no DIY.

See how Bizzcraft works for restaurants.