The Web Tasting Menu

What Type of Website Do I Need? A Restaurant Comparison Guide

Basic Template Websites (Wix/Squarespace/Basic WordPress)

Like a basic food truck → limited and pre-set menu, basic equipment, one cook can handle everything, minimal or generic decoration.

Web Analogy → pre-defined solutions with limited modification options, basic functionalities, everything is "drag & drop" with no coding, basic shared hosting.

Ideal for → new business ideas testing the market with limited budget.

Pros: Super quick development, someone with no web knowledge can build it in one or two days.

Cons: Generic design that other sites might share, making it impossible to project as a high-ticket brand. No underlying strategy focused on brand projection to users, not very scalable or robust. If done in WordPress (org), might have security issues.

Cost: $ (between USD 300 and 1.000, we encourage you to do it, as it should only take a couple of days to complete)

Basic food truck or Fast Food

Customized  Websites with libraries (Premium WordPress themes or Webflow with Relume Library)

Like home cooking → quality ingredients but known recipes, good home equipment, limited but flexible customization options, good presentation without fancy tricks.

Web Analogy → adapted premium templates, well-implemented standard functionalities, customization within predefined limits, very professional results.

Ideal for → small-to-medium businesses that need to look professional without major investment. They've already tested their market, had a basic website, but want to scale to something better, looking good, and have a budget for it, though not excessive.

Pros: Relatively quick development, doesn't require too costly an investment, and can result in a much more appealing and robust website.

Cons: No complete freedom regarding design, can't have something 100% custom, unique, with WOW effect.

Cost:  $$ - $$$ (between USD 4,000 and 8,000 for approximately 5 to 8 pages)

Home cooking

Custom Websites with Unique Design and Animations (Webflow, Advanced WP, or Code)

Like a signature restaurant (for special occasions) → unique menu created with a clear concept, specialized team for each area, custom-designed ambiance and decoration, memorable and unique experience, great attention to detail.

Web Analogy → Completely customized design, unique animations and interactions, custom development for specific needs, unique and memorable user experience.

Ideal for → brands looking to stand out from competition, project high-value services, projects needing differentiation.

Pros: higher conversion rates, creates a WOW effect for users, conveys a brand of much greater value, helping users understand that these are high-ticket services, and allows the brand to fulfill all its creative ambitions.

Cons: a poor balance of animations and content can result in a beautiful website that fails to communicate the message effectively or is too slow to load.

Cost: $$$ - $$$$ (between USD 7,000 and 16,000 for approximately 5 to 8 pages)

Signature restaurant

Complex Web Platforms (code with different frameworks)

Like Michelin-starred restaurants → complete gastronomic experience, large team behind the scenes, perfectly orchestrated processes, systems working in harmony, top-tier infrastructure, constant innovation.

Web Analogy → complex interconnected systems, specialized development team, robust and scalable architecture, dedicated servers, multiple integrations (APIs, databases).

Ideal for → large companies, unique platforms, businesses whose core operation is the platform itself.

Pros: scalability, potentially very high return depending on the platform's business strategy.

Cons: must necessarily consider continuous and specialized maintenance (costly).

Cost: $$$$$ - $$$$$$ (starting from USD 35.000 for a solid MVP)

Michelin-starred restaurant