Most restaurant searches are about food: "best tacos near me", "gluten-free brunch". A menu that exists only as a photo is unreadable to most search engines and assistants, and a PDF is harder to use than text on the page. Put it on the page as text, with dishes named the way people search for them.
Your Google Business Profile
- Hours, and holiday hours set in advance.
- Menu, ordering and reservation links.
- Attributes: outdoor seating, vegetarian options, delivery, whatever is true.
- Recent photos of the food and the room.
When diners ask AI
People ask ChatGPT and Perplexity where to eat. Those answers lean on menus, reviews and listings, including Yelp. If an assistant says you serve brunch and you stopped last spring, the fix is on your site and profile.
Restaurant website design
Hours, address and the menu should be one tap from the top on a phone. Then reservations or ordering. A long intro video before any of that costs you diners.
Questions
Does Yelp still matter for restaurants?
More than for most businesses. Claim it and keep it matching your Google profile.
Should I use a third-party ordering link?
Many restaurants do. Make sure the one on Google is the one you want people to use.
How can AI help a restaurant?
Mostly with the repetitive work: answering common questions, replying to routine reviews, planning social posts. Keep a person on anything unusual.