The Kitch blog
Run your restaurant, not your software.
Simple guides on menus, QR codes, hours, promos, ordering and keeping your restaurant up to date online.
By topic
- · Comparisons· 3 min read
Your Own Website vs DoorDash: Where Should Orders Go?
A clear comparison of taking orders on your own restaurant website versus DoorDash and other delivery apps — the real costs, who owns the customer, and the smart hybrid.
- · Comparisons· 3 min read
The Best Wix Alternative for Restaurants
Why restaurants switch from Wix, what a restaurant-specific builder does differently, and how to move your menu and ordering over in an afternoon.
- · Comparisons· 3 min read
Squarespace vs Wix for Restaurants: Which Should You Use?
An honest Squarespace vs Wix comparison for restaurants — where each wins, where both fall short for a menu-driven business, and the restaurant-specific alternative.
- · Comparisons· 3 min read
The Best Squarespace Alternative for Restaurants
Why restaurants outgrow Squarespace, what to look for in an alternative, and how a restaurant-specific builder handles menus and ordering with far less upkeep.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to Make a Pizza Restaurant Website (That Takes Orders)
A practical guide to building a pizzeria website that shows your menu, takes commission-free orders, and gets found on Google — without a developer.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to Make a Mexican Restaurant Website
Build a Mexican restaurant or taqueria website that shows your menu, takes commission-free orders, and gets found by hungry locals on Google. No developer needed.
- · Guides· 4 min read
How to Make a Restaurant Website (Step-by-Step, 2026)
A plain, no-jargon guide to making a restaurant website that gets found on Google and turns visitors into orders — without hiring a developer or paying agency rates.
- · Guides· 3 min read
How to Make a Food Truck Website
Build a food truck website that shows today's location, your menu, and your schedule — and keeps fans up to date wherever you park. No developer needed.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to Make a Coffee Shop Website
Build a café website that shows your menu and hours, takes mobile orders, and gets found by nearby coffee lovers — fast, and without a developer.
- · Comparisons· 3 min read
The Best Restaurant Website Builders (2026)
An honest look at the best ways to build a restaurant website in 2026 — restaurant-specific tools, general builders, and POS-bundled sites — and how to choose.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to Make a Website for a Bar
Build a bar website that shows your drink menu, hours, events, and happy hour — and gets found by people deciding where to go tonight. No developer needed.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to Build a Restaurant Website Free Before You Pay
Build and review a restaurant website preview free, understand what stays private, and know exactly when you need a paid plan to go live.
- · Guides· 3 min read
Restaurant Website Templates: How to Pick One That Gets Orders
What makes a good restaurant website template, what to avoid, and how to use a template without ending up with a slow, generic page that doesn't convert.
- · Guides· 3 min read
Restaurant Website Examples: 9 Things the Best Ones Do
Real patterns from restaurant websites that actually drive orders — what to copy, what to skip, and how to apply them to your own page in an afternoon.
- · Guides· 3 min read
How to Build a Website for a Small Restaurant
A practical guide for small and independent restaurants to get a fast, professional website online cheaply — and keep it current without hiring anyone.
- · Guides· 3 min read
How to Build a Restaurant Website Without a Developer
You don't need to code or hire anyone to get your restaurant online. Here's how to build, publish, and maintain a professional restaurant website yourself.
- · Guides· 3 min read
How Long Does It Take to Build a Restaurant Website?
How long a restaurant website really takes to build — by DIY builder, freelancer, and agency — plus how to launch a solid first version in a single afternoon.
- · Guides· 4 min read
What It Really Costs to Get Your Restaurant Online
A clear breakdown of what restaurant owners actually pay to get online — websites, ordering, menus, and delivery commissions — and where the money is wasted.
- · Guides· 3 min read
What Every Restaurant Website Needs (2026 Checklist)
The complete checklist of what to put on a restaurant website — the must-haves that drive orders, the nice-to-haves, and what to leave off entirely.
- · Guides· 5 min read
Restaurant Profit Margins, Explained
What a normal restaurant profit margin looks like, why margins are so thin, and the controllable levers — especially delivery commissions — that decide whether you keep money.
- · Guides· 5 min read
How to Open a Restaurant: A Step-by-Step Checklist
A practical, owner-tested checklist for opening a restaurant — concept, licensing, build-out, hiring, and the online presence you need before day one.
- · Guides· 5 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Restaurant?
A practical, honest 2025-2026 breakdown of what it really costs to open a restaurant — from build-out and equipment to licenses — and where the range comes from.
- · Guides· 4 min read
How Much Do Restaurant Owners Actually Make?
What restaurant owners earn in 2026 — average salary, the real range, what drives the spread, and the levers that actually move an owner's take-home pay.
- · Guides· 6 min read
Does Your Restaurant Need a Website in 2026?
Yes — most diners now check a restaurant's menu, hours, and website before deciding to visit, and a page you control is the only thing search and AI engines can reliably read.
- · Playbooks· 3 min read
How to Take Restaurant Orders Online Without Commission Fees
How to accept online orders directly from your own website and keep 100% of the sale — instead of handing 20–30% to third-party delivery apps.
- · Guides· 3 min read
How to Make Your Restaurant Website Mobile-Friendly
Most people view restaurant websites on a phone. Here's how to make yours fast, thumb-friendly, and easy to order from on mobile — and why it drives more orders.
- · Guides· 5 min read
Kitch Social — caption writing, post design, and connected publishing for restaurants
How Kitch helps restaurants draft social posts, build restaurant-ready creative, and publish through supported connected Instagram and Facebook accounts on Operator and above.
- · Playbooks· 2 min read
Live menu page vs PDF — why a static menu is costing you guests
PDFs are invisible to Google and AI search and go stale instantly. Here's why a live, structured menu page wins on discovery, speed, and trust.
- · Guides· 2 min read
QR code menus for restaurants — the complete 2026 guide
How restaurant QR code menus work, static vs dynamic codes, how to make print-ready table QR codes, and the mistakes that send guests to a dead link.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to update your restaurant menu instantly (without a developer)
The fastest way to change prices, mark items 86'd, and update your online menu in seconds — by message, with no website login or developer.
- · Guides· 2 min read
Static vs dynamic QR codes for restaurants — which should you use?
Static QR codes can't be changed; dynamic ones can. For restaurant menus, dynamic almost always wins. Here's the difference, with cost and reprinting in mind.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to make a digital menu for your restaurant (free and paid options)
A step-by-step guide to creating a digital restaurant menu that's fast, mobile-friendly, and findable by Google and AI search — plus the trade-offs of each option.
- · Comparisons· 2 min read
Restaurant website vs a live page — what independent restaurants actually need
A full restaurant website is often overkill and goes stale. A live page — menu, hours, promo, QR — updated by message keeps up with the kitchen and wins on discovery.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to make restaurant social media graphics (without a designer)
A simple way to make on-brand Instagram posts, stories, and promos for your restaurant in minutes — no design software or agency required.
- · Guides· 2 min read
How to update your restaurant hours online (and why it matters for Google)
Wrong hours online cost you covers and trust. Here's how to keep your hours accurate everywhere — holidays included — and why search and AI engines reward it.
- · Playbooks· 4 min read
How Independent Restaurants Can Compete With Delivery Apps
Delivery platforms bring customers but take a significant cut and own the relationship. Here is how independent restaurants protect their margins and build direct loyalty.
- · Comparisons· 4 min read
Do QR Code Menus Help Restaurants? The Honest Answer
QR menus save on printing costs and enable real-time updates. But they also frustrate some guests. Here is an honest look at what they do and do not solve.
- · Comparisons· 4 min read
The Best Way to Share Your Restaurant Menu Online
PDF, third-party platform, or live page — which actually works for restaurants? A clear-eyed comparison of every option, with a recommendation.
- · Playbooks· 4 min read
How to Promote a Daily Special So People Actually See It
A practical guide to getting your daily specials in front of guests — online, in-house, and on social — without spending your whole morning on it.
- · Guides· 4 min read
How to 86 an Item Online Instantly (and Why It Matters)
When you run out of something, your digital menu should reflect that within seconds. Here is why it matters and how to make it happen.
- · Guides· 4 min read
How to Get Your Restaurant to Show Up on Google
Local SEO for restaurants, from Google Business Profile basics to structured menus. A plain guide to getting found by nearby diners.
- · Guides· 5 min read
QR Code Table Tents: Design, Sizing, and Printing Tips
How to design, size, and print QR code table tents that guests can actually scan — with guidance on materials, placement, and what to link them to.
- · Playbooks· 5 min read
How to Get More Reviews for Your Restaurant
Practical strategies for earning more genuine guest reviews on Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor — without incentivizing or gaming the system.
- · Guides· 4 min read
Restaurant Google Business Profile: Setup and Optimization Guide
How to set up and keep your Google Business Profile accurate so your restaurant appears in local search and on Google Maps when guests are looking.
- · Guides· 4 min read
How to Write a Restaurant Menu That Sells
Practical guidance on menu wording, structure, and item placement that helps guests make decisions and increases what they order.