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Web design / Field note 22

What a restaurant or café website in Rwanda needs

A hungry customer wants three things, fast: what you serve, whether you are open, and how to get it. A restaurant website should answer all three on a phone in seconds.

Guests dining at wooden tables in a restaurant
Photo by Kayleigh Harrington on Unsplash
The useful part

Put the menu in text, not a photo of a printed menu, keep hours and prices current, add a WhatsApp order button and a map, and make sure your Google Maps listing matches the website.

02

Hours, location and contact

  • Opening hours for every day, including holidays.
  • A map, and directions in words people actually use, such as near a known landmark.
  • A call button and a WhatsApp button at the top of every page.
03

Orders and delivery

OptionFits when
WhatsApp orderingYou take a manageable number of orders and like to confirm each one.
Online ordering with paymentYou have many orders and want them paid before cooking, by Mobile Money or card.
Delivery appsYou already sell through them. Link to your page there, and keep your own site for loyal customers.

If you take payments online, read taking Mobile Money on a website.

04

Photos that make people hungry

Good, honest photos of your real dishes and your space do more than any slogan. Take them in daylight, keep them consistent, and make sure they are compressed so they load fast on mobile data.

05

Your Google listing matters as much

For “restaurant near me” searches, Google shows its map first. Keep your Business Profile complete with menu, photos, hours and website, and answer reviews. Read the Google Business Profile guide.

Need a simple page with your menu and WhatsApp orders? See Starter Page, or website design for a full site.

Further reading

Official documentation behind the technical guidance in this article.