Nobody books a coffee three weeks in advance. People decide where to go for breakfast or lunch in the moment, usually on their phone, often while they're already out. They want to know three things fast: are you open, what can I eat, and how do I get there. A cafe website that answers those in a few seconds turns a passing search into someone walking through your door.

The good news is that a great cafe website is simple. It doesn't need to be clever, it needs to be quick, clear and honest. Here's what I'd put on every cafe site, and the mistakes I see most often.

Your opening hours, right at the top

This sounds obvious, but it's the thing people most often can't find. Put today's hours near the top of your home page, in plain text, and keep them the same as your Google Business Profile. Update both for bank holidays and closures. Google lets you set special hours on your profile for holidays and other temporary changes, so use them.

Few things lose a regular faster than walking to a cafe your website said was open and finding the door locked.

A real menu, in text, not a PDF

Many cafe websites have a menu as a PDF or a photo of the chalkboard. On a phone, a PDF is fiddly to open and hard to read. More importantly, the words inside an image can't easily be read by search engines or things like ChatGPT, so your lovely brunch menu might as well not exist when someone searches for "brunch near me".

Write your menu as normal text on a web page, in sections, with prices if you're happy to show them. Mention the things people search for: vegan options, gluten free, dog friendly, good coffee, kids' menu. Change the page when the menu changes.

You can also add your menu to your Google Business Profile. Google's help pages say food and drink businesses can list menu items, with descriptions and prices, grouped into sections, and that changes can take 24 to 48 hours to show on Maps and Search.

Allergen information, handled properly

If you sell food that isn't prepacked, which covers most of what a cafe serves, the Food Standards Agency's guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland says you must supply allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens. You can do that in writing, for example on a menu or chalkboard, or verbally with a clearly visible written notice telling customers how to get the information. The FSA's advice is that written information, supported by a conversation, works best.

If you take orders online or by phone for delivery or collection, the rules go further. The FSA says allergen information must be available before the purchase is completed and again when the food is delivered.

On your website, the simplest good approach is a clear line on the menu page explaining how to find allergen information, and an allergen guide if you keep one up to date. Don't publish allergen details you can't keep accurate, and always encourage customers with allergies to speak to your team.

Where you are, and how to get to you

Put your full address on every page, usually in the footer, with a map and a tap to open directions. Add the details that help people actually arrive: the nearest parking, whether there's step free access, if you're tucked down a lane or above another shop.

Google lets you add attributes to your profile, like outdoor seating, Wi-Fi and wheelchair accessible entrances, and says that adding certain attributes might help your business show up in searches for places with them. Say the same things on your website.

Photos that make people hungry

Your photos do a lot of the selling. Show your actual food, your actual space and your actual team, in good natural light. A phone is fine if the light is good. Avoid stock photos of coffee cups: people can tell, and it makes them trust everything else less.

Keep image files small enough to load fast on mobile data. A slow site loses people who are standing on the pavement deciding.

Tap to call, and a way to book if you take bookings

Make your phone number a tap to call button. If you take table bookings, private hire or cake orders, add a clear button for each, linked straight to the right form or booking page. If you don't take bookings, say so. "Walk ins only, we'd love to see you" saves calls.

Your story, briefly

People choose independent cafes partly because of who runs them. A short "about us" with a photo of you and a few honest lines about why you opened, where your beans or bread come from, or what you're known for, gives people a reason to choose you over a chain.

Reviews, front and centre

Show a few real reviews on your home page and link to your Google profile. Reviews are often what tips someone from looking to visiting. If you'd like more of them, the honest way is to ask everyone, and I've written about how to get more Google reviews without feeling awkward. Reply to what people say, too: here are examples you can copy for replying to reviews.

Built to be found

A cafe website should be set up so Google and tools like ChatGPT can understand it:

  • Page titles that say what you are and where, like "Independent cafe and brunch in Totnes".
  • Every important fact, from hours to menu, in plain text.
  • Structured information (schema) in the code that tells search engines you're a cafe, with your address, hours and menu.
  • Name, address and phone number exactly matching your Google profile.

If you're not showing on the map at all, start with why a business might not show on Google Maps.

The mistakes I see most often

  • Out of date hours, or different hours on the website and Google.
  • The menu as a PDF or photo that's hard to read on a phone.
  • No address or map on the home page.
  • A slow home page with a huge video or gallery.
  • Instagram as the only website. It's great for showing off, but it isn't where most new customers search. More on that in do I need a website if I already have Instagram or Facebook.

What a cafe website doesn't need

You don't need dozens of pages. For most cafes, a home page, a menu page, an about page, and a find us page with hours and contact details is plenty. Add pages for private hire, catering or events if you offer them. Simple, fast and accurate beats big and fancy.

If you'd like a cafe website that brings more people through the door, I'd love to help. I take on a few projects at a time, so you get me, not a team. You can see what I help with, or book 15 minutes here:

Book a 15-minute call

Frequently asked questions

What should a cafe website include?

Your opening hours, a menu in plain text, how customers can get allergen information, your address with a map, tap to call, real photos and a few reviews. Keep it fast on a phone.

Should I put my cafe menu online as a PDF?

It's better as normal text on a web page. Text is easier to read on a phone and can be read by search engines and things like ChatGPT, while words in a PDF or photo are easily missed.

Do I have to put allergen information on my cafe website?

For food that isn't prepacked, the FSA says you must provide allergen information, in writing or verbally with a visible written notice. If you take orders online or by phone, it must be available before the order is completed and again on delivery.

Can I add my menu to Google Maps?

Yes. Google says food and drink businesses can add menu items, descriptions and prices to their Business Profile, and changes can take 24 to 48 hours to appear.

How many pages does a cafe website need?

Usually four or five: home, menu, about, and find us with hours and contact. Add more only for things like private hire or catering.

Sources

Checked on 7 October 2026.