We work in four phases: Discover, Design, Develop and Launch. For a single-location restaurant we plan for six to nine weeks from the discovery call to launch. The biggest factor in keeping to that plan is having menus, photos and copy decisions ready early.
The timeline at a glance
| Phase | Stage | What happens | Weeks we plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | Call and brief | We learn about the restaurant, guests, menus and tools | 1 |
| Design | Home and menu design | We design the home page and a menu page for your review | 1 to 2 |
| Design | Content | We write or edit copy and gather photos and menus | Alongside design, plus up to 1 |
| Develop | Build | We build every page and connect booking and ordering tools | 2 to 3 |
| Develop | Review | You review the full site; we make agreed changes | 1 |
| Launch | Launch and checks | We test, launch and check again at two and six weeks | 1 (plus later checks) |
Because content work runs alongside design, the stages add up to six to nine weeks.
Phase one: Discover
We start with a call to understand the restaurant: the concept, the guests, the menus, the booking or ordering tools and the team who will maintain the site. If you have used the planner, we start from your brief.
We also look at what already exists: your current site if you have one, your Google Business Profile, your printed menus and any brand materials. At the end of this phase you receive a short written brief and a quote.
What we need from you: menus, hours, any brand files, access to current tools, and an hour for the call.
Phase two: Design
We design the home page and a menu page first, because they set the direction for everything else. You see the designs in the browser, at phone and desktop sizes, not as static pictures. We agree changes, then extend the design to the other pages.
Alongside the design we work on content. That means writing or editing the copy with you, gathering photos, and turning menus into structured text. If photos are not ready, we design with clear placeholders and give you a shot list.
What we need from you: feedback on the designs, answers to copy questions, and photos.
Phase three: Develop
We build the site: every page, the menus, the visit and contact pages, structured data and the booking or ordering connections. We test as we go on phones and desktops, with a keyboard and with screen readers, and against Core Web Vitals and WCAG 2.2 level AA.
Then you review the whole site on a private address. We collect your changes in one list, agree them and make them.
What we need from you: a careful review of every page, especially menus and prices.
Phase four: Launch
Before launch we check every link, booking and ordering path, set up redirects from any old addresses, submit the sitemap and confirm that your Google Business Profile points at the right pages. We launch at a quiet time for the restaurant, never during service.
After launch we check the site again at two weeks and at six weeks for broken links, missed redirects, search errors and anything your team has noticed. You receive a handover guide covering how to edit menus, hours and specials, and a list of every connected tool.
How we communicate
Email is the main channel, so decisions are written down. Calls are arranged for the discovery stage and design reviews, and at other points when they help. Each week during the project we send a short note covering what was done, what is next and anything we need from you.
What can slow a project down
- Menus or prices that are still changing during the build.
- Photos that arrive late.
- Several people giving feedback separately; one point of contact keeps things moving.
- Third-party tools where we are waiting for access.
After the project
You can handle every update yourself after launch, or ask us for ongoing help with seasonal menus or new pages. Ongoing help is optional and quoted separately. See the pricing page for how we quote.
