Running a restaurant is already a challenge, and in today’s digital world, having a strong online presence is just as important as serving great food. But where do you even start?
Maybe you’ve thought about setting up a website but felt overwhelmed by the tech side of things. Or perhaps you already have one, but it’s not doing much to bring in new customers. The good news? You don’t need to be a web expert to build a restaurant website that actually works for your business.

With Shopify, you can create a sleek, easy-to-use website where customers can check your menu, place online orders, make reservations, and even join your loyalty program—all in one place. No coding, no hassle, just a simple way to bring your restaurant online and grow your business.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about using Shopify for restaurants. Let’s get started!

Why Set Up Your Restaurant Business on Shopify?

If you’ve ever wondered whether taking your restaurant online could help boost your business, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about why using Shopify could be the solution that makes running your restaurant easier and more profitable.

• A thriving restaurant commerce hub: Shopify powers over 5 million businesses worldwide, including thousands of food and beverage brands. With a 10% share of the U.S. eCommerce market, it’s a trusted platform for restaurateurs looking to grow their online orders, catering services, and meal subscription models.
• Online Ordering & Delivery Made Easy: The Shopify App Store offers over 13,000 integrations, including restaurant-specific tools like table reservation systems, online ordering apps, delivery integrations (UberEats, DoorDash, Postmates), and POS systems. This means you can sync your dine-in, takeout, and delivery services seamlessly.
• No Tech Expertise Required: Its user-friendly interface allows you to set up a menu, customize your branding, and launch an eCommerce store for your restaurant without needing coding knowledge. Whether you want to sell meal kits, gift cards, or merchandise, Shopify has built-in tools to help.
• Integrated Analytics for Smarter Decision-Making: Shopify’s real-time analytics lets you track average order values, customer preferences, peak dining hours, and online vs. in-store sales. These insights help restaurant owners optimize their pricing strategies, promotional offers, and menu engineering.

Pros and Cons of Shopify for Restaurants

Running a restaurant comes with its own unique challenges, and choosing the right platform for online sales is a big decision. Let’s go over the pros and cons of using Shopify for restaurants, so you can figure out if it’s the solution you’re looking for.

Why set up your Restaurant business on Shopify?

If you’ve ever wondered whether taking your restaurant online could help boost your business, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about why using Shopify could be the solution that makes running your restaurant easier and more profitable.

• User-Friendly Interface: Shopify’s platform is designed for ease of use, allowing restaurant owners to set up their online store without needing technical expertise. From my experience, this simplicity enables restaurant owners to focus on their menu and customer service rather than getting bogged down in website management.
• Mobile-Responsive Design: With an increasing number of customers ordering food on their mobile devices, Shopify ensures that restaurant websites look great on all screens. I’ve noticed that having a mobile-friendly site significantly improves customer engagement and increases order rates.
• Integrated Payment Systems: Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways, making it easy for restaurants to accept various payment methods without incurring extra transaction fees. In my opinion, this flexibility in payment options enhances customer satisfaction and encourages more orders.
• Multi-Channel Selling Capabilities: Shopify allows restaurants to sell not only through their website but also on social media and in-person with Shopify POS. I find this omnichannel approach invaluable as it broadens the reach and potential sales opportunities for restaurants.
• Robust Inventory Management: Shopify provides real-time inventory tracking, ensuring that restaurant owners know when to reorder supplies. Having this feature has helped me streamline operations and reduce waste, ultimately improving profitability.

How to set up a Shopify store for restaurants

Setting up a Shopify store for your restaurant involves several key steps to ensure a smooth online ordering experience. Here’s a concise guide to help you get started with your restaurant ecommerce journey.

Step 1: Sign Up for a Shopify Account

• Visit the Shopify website and click on Start Free Trial.

• Enter your email, password, and business name to create your account.

Step 2: Choose a Restaurant-Specific Theme

Your website’s design should be appealing, easy to navigate, and optimized for mobile users. Shopify offers various restaurant-friendly themes, both free and premium, that are designed for menu displays, online ordering, and delivery integration.

How to choose and customize your theme:

• Go to your Shopify Admin Dashboard → Click on “Online Store” → Select “Themes.”
• Click “Visit Theme Store” and browse for restaurant-focused themes like those designed for cafés, fine dining, fast food, or meal delivery services.
• Choose a theme that matches your restaurant’s brand and allows for easy customization of menu pages, high-quality food photography, and seamless checkout.

See more: 

• 10 Best Free Shopify Themes for Your Shopify Store
• Top 5+ Free Premium Shopify Themes in 2025
• Fastest Shopify Themes: Our Curated 10 Picks [Free & Paid]
• 12 Best Shopify Themes for Digital Products in 2025

Step 3: Create & Upload Your Restaurant Menu

Your menu is the heart of your online restaurant, so it needs to be well-structured and visually appealing.

How to add menu items in Shopify:

1. Go to “Products” in the Shopify Admin Dashboard.
2. Click “Add Product” to enter your menu items.
3. Include:
   • Dish Name: Keep it clear and appetizing (e.g., “Spicy Garlic Shrimp Pasta”).
   • High-Quality Images: Upload well-lit, high-resolution food photos.
   • Description: Add ingredients, portion sizes, and any dietary details.
   • Variants: For items with different portion sizes, toppings, or add-ons (e.g., Small, Medium, Large).
   • Pricing: Clearly display the price for each menu item.
4. Use SEO-optimized keywords in descriptions to help customers find your dishes easily.
5. If you have a large menu, consider using bulk upload via CSV file to save time.

Pro Tip: Compress images using Shopify’s built-in optimization tools to ensure fast loading times without losing quality.

Step 4: Add Essential Pages for Your Restaurant Website

A well-structured website isn’t just about the menu. You’ll also need to include essential pages:

• About Us: Share your restaurant’s story, mission, and what makes your food special.
• Contact Page: Include your restaurant’s address, phone number, email, and working hours.
• FAQs: Answer common customer questions about delivery, allergens, or dietary restrictions.
• Reservation Page (Optional): If you accept table reservations, integrate a booking system like OpenTable or Resy.

How to Add a Page:

• Go to Online Store → Click “Pages” → Select “Add Page” → Enter your content and publish.

Step 5: Set Up Payment Methods For Online Orders

To accept online payments for takeout, delivery, or meal pre-orders, you need to configure your payment settings:

• Go to “Settings” → “Payments” in your Shopify Admin.
• Choose your payment provider (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.).
• Enter your business banking details to receive payments securely.

Pro Tip: If you accept cash on delivery for local orders, enable manual payment options in Shopify.

Step 6: Configure Shipping and Delivery Options

Many restaurants operate with local pickup and delivery services, so it’s essential to set up delivery zones, fees, and order time estimates.

Steps to enable delivery & pickup:

1. Go to “Settings” → “Shipping and Delivery.”
2. Under “Local Delivery”, define:
   • Delivery radius (e.g., 10 km around your location).
   • Delivery fees (if applicable).
   • Estimated delivery time.
3. For local pickup, provide clear instructions on where and when customers can pick up their orders.

Pro Tip: If you partner with UberEats, DoorDash, or Grubhub, consider integrating them via Shopify’s App Store.

Step 7: Customize Checkout Settings

A seamless checkout process leads to higher order completions and fewer abandoned carts.

• Go to Settings → Checkout.
• Enable:
  • Guest checkout (let customers order without creating an account).
  • Tip options (allow customers to add gratuity at checkout).
  • Order confirmation emails to notify customers about their purchase.

Step 8: Test Your Store Before Launching

Before going live, test everything:

• Place a test order to ensure menu items, payment processing, and delivery settings work correctly.
• Check that food images display properly on mobile devices.
• Ensure navigation is easy, and the checkout process is smooth.
• Verify that all buttons, contact forms, and reservation links function properly.

Step 9: Launch & Promote Your Restaurant’s Online Store

• Once everything is set up and tested, remove any password protection from your store under the Online Store > Preferences section.

• Remove password protection: Go to Online Store → Preferences, and disable the password page.
• Announce your launch through social media, email newsletters, and Google My Business.
• Encourage first-time customers with special offers like discounts on first online orders, free delivery, or loyalty rewards.

By following these steps, you can effectively set up a Shopify store tailored for your restaurant, enabling you to reach more customers and streamline your operations.

Shopify for Restaurants: Pricing Breakdown

Subscription Costs

Shopify’s pricing model is designed to be flexible, making it accessible to restaurants of varying sizes and budgets. 

1. Shopify Basic – $39 per month

The Shopify Basic plan is an excellent choice for individuals and small businesses. At $39 per month, it provides everything necessary to create your online store, manage product listings, and process payments efficiently.

2. Shopify – $105 per month

The Standard Shopify plan, priced at $105 per month, is designed for small businesses looking to level up their online operations. It offers professional reporting capabilities and additional staff accounts to support your restaurant’s growth.

3. Advanced Shopify – $399 per month

For medium to large restaurant businesses, the Advanced Shopify plan at $399 per month delivers the most comprehensive features. 

This plan includes custom report-building tools, allowing you to analyze your restaurant’s performance in detail. It also offers the lowest transaction fees, making it an attractive option for high-volume restaurants.

Initial Costs for Setting up the Website

Building your restaurant’s website on Shopify involves a few initial costs essential for creating a compelling online presence.

1. Domain Name

Shopify simplifies the domain acquisition process by including it as an integral part of its service across all plans. This means you won’t need to worry about hosting or installing your domain separately. 

Shopify allows you to register a custom domain if you prefer a more unique and branded web address for your restaurant. The cost of a custom field on Shopify typically ranges from $10/year to $80/year or more, depending on factors such as the domain’s popularity and the chosen domain registrar. 

Quick reading: How to Set Your Primary Domain on Shopify in 4 Easy Steps

2. Themes

Shopify offers a selection of free themes that you can use to design your restaurant’s website. These themes are a cost-effective option for those on a budget. They come with basic customization options and can provide a good starting point for your online presence.

Consider purchasing a premium theme if you want more advanced design options and a unique look for your restaurant website. Premium themes on Shopify can range in price from $150 to $390, depending on the complexity and features they offer. These themes often provide greater flexibility and customization capabilities.

3. Apps

Shopify offers a diverse marketplace of apps designed to empower your restaurant’s website with additional capabilities and features. While many apps have free versions that provide basic functionalities, some may require a monthly subscription fee to access advanced features and premium services.

Shopify’s app store boasts an impressive catalog of over 8,000 apps, each catering to different business needs. These apps cover a broad spectrum, from improving the user experience to enhancing backend operations. Premium app pricing on Shopify can vary widely, typically within the $15 to $60 per month.

Shopify Transaction Fees

These fees come into play when you use a third-party payment provider to process customer payments on your Shopify restaurant website. The percentage of these fees depends on your chosen subscription plan:

It’s important to note that you can bypass these transaction fees entirely by utilizing Shopify Payments from the outset. Shopify Payments is an integrated payment solution offering seamless and cost-effective payment processing through the Shopify platform.

Shopify Credit Card Rates

When it comes to credit card rates on Shopify, they are generally tied to your chosen subscription plan. Here’s an overview of the expected credit card processing fees:

Basic Shopify Plan:

• For online credit card payments, you can anticipate an average charge of approximately 2.9% plus a flat fee of $0.30 per transaction.
• If your restaurant accepts credit card payments in person, the rate is around 2.7%.

Shopify Plan:

• With the Shopify Plan, the fees for online credit card payments decrease to approximately 2.6%, plus a flat fee of $0.30 per transaction.
• In the case of in-person credit card payments, the rate usually reduces further to approximately 2.5%.

Advanced Shopify Plan:

• For online transactions, you can expect an average charge of approximately 2.4% plus a flat fee of $0.30 per transaction.
• Similarly, in-person credit card payments on the Advanced plan are also charged at roughly 2.4%.

It’s worth noting that with Shopify, you can start accepting major credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, and Discover right from the moment you launch your restaurant’s online shop. This convenience ensures that customers can easily make payments, whether ordering online or dining at your establishment.

Shopify Point-of-Sale System for Restaurants: A Key Critical for Succeed 

The Shopify point-of-sale system creates a seamless bridge between your physical restaurant and digital storefront, allowing for consistent customer experiences regardless of how they choose to engage with your business. This integration is particularly valuable for restaurants offering both dine-in and takeout options, as it centralizes all operations within the broader Shopify ecosystem.

How to set up Shopify POS for restaurants: A step-by-step guide:

• Step 1: Choose the right Shopify POS plans (Shopify POS Lite and Shopify POS Pro) for your restaurant.
• Step 2: Get your POS hardware set up to support tableside ordering, quick payments, and seamless service.
• Step 3: Set up menu and inventory sync with Shopify POS
• Step 4: Enable tableside ordering and mobile payments 
• Step 5: Set up staff accounts and custom permissions 
• Step 6: Configure payment methods & tip options
• Step 7: Enable order management for takeout & delivery 
• Step 8: Set up reporting & analytics for smarter decisions
• Step 9: Test and launch your Shopify POS system

For detailed Shopify POS, refer to our article:

• Shopify POS (Point-of-sale): A comprehensive guide 2025.
• Shopify POS For Restaurants: Is It A Good Choice?

4 Best Shopify Themes for Your Restaurant

Selecting a suitable theme for your Shopify restaurant website is crucial for creating an attractive and functional online presence. Here are four top Shopify themes tailored to enhance your restaurant’s digital storefront:

01. Crave

If you want your restaurant’s online presence to exude vibrancy and playfulness, the Crave Shopify theme is an excellent choice. This theme combines bold colors and distinct shadows to create a design that captures potential buyers’ attention while reflecting your brand’s unique personality.

Crave offers advanced customization options, allowing you to tailor the design to your specific vision and brand without coding. This flexibility ensures that your restaurant’s website can stand out and align perfectly with your branding and style.

02. Vantage

Vantage provides various product and collection-focused sections, giving you the tools to showcase your restaurant’s menu items creatively. Whether you want to highlight daily specials, featured dishes, or your entire menu, this theme offers flexibility.

This theme is designed with a strong emphasis on product discovery and conversion-focused design. It’s optimized to enhance conversions and increase your restaurant’s online orders’ average order value (AOV). The intuitive layout and design make it easy for customers to explore your offerings and make purchases.

03. Taste

The spacious design of Taste, with bold headlines, industrial fonts, and a high-contrast color palette, can create a visually appealing and engaging online environment. In a restaurant context, this design can showcase your dishes, making them visually enticing for customers.

The theme’s support for larger product cards and specialty product highlights aligns with the need for restaurants to highlight their menu items. This feature can emphasize daily specials, featured dishes, or seasonal offerings, helping customers make informed choices.

04. Fresh

The Fresh Shopify theme is purpose-built for Food and drink stores, making it an ideal choice for your restaurant’s online presence. It offers a range of features tailored to enhance the presentation of your restaurant’s menu and improve the shopping experience for your customers.

This theme includes advanced product filtering capabilities, allowing customers to navigate your menu and refine their searches quickly. They can filter by brand, type, color, size, or other relevant criteria, improving the user experience.

5 Expert Tips for Optimizing Your Restaurant Website on Shopify

Here are five essential strategies to enhance your restaurant’s Shopify website:

01. Expand Ordering Options

In the age of convenience, offering diverse ordering options can significantly boost your restaurant’s appeal. Beyond traditional dine-in, consider integrating features like online ordering, delivery, and takeout.

You can leverage the Store Pickup + Delivery App – a powerful tool designed to streamline and optimize order management for delivery, pickup, and shipping. Here’s how this app can benefit your restaurant:

• Optimized Order Management: The “Store Pickup + Delivery App” offers a comprehensive solution for managing various order types, including delivery, pickup, and shipping. This optimization ensures that you can efficiently cater to different customer preferences.
• Flexible Date and Time Selection: Customers appreciate the ability to choose the date and time for pickup, delivery, or shipping. This feature allows them to align their orders with their schedules, promoting convenience and satisfaction.
• Unified Dashboard: Simplify the management of all scheduled orders with the app’s unified dashboard. It provides a centralized view of all orders, making tracking, processing, and accurately fulfilling customer requests easier.
• Customized Control: You can control delivery zones, pricing, and order limits, tailoring these parameters to suit your restaurant’s requirements and geographic reach.
• Effortless Export: Streamline your data management by exporting orders to various formats, including CSV, Google Calendar, Zapier, and Klaviyo. This flexibility facilitates efficient record-keeping and integration with other essential tools.

02. Deliver Outstanding Customer Support

Providing exceptional customer support is crucial for your restaurant’s success, especially when customers have questions about your menu items. Making it easy for customers to ask questions and receive prompt answers is essential for boosting customer satisfaction and retention. 

Tidio Live Chat & Chatbot offers a comprehensive customer support solution, combining live chat, chatbots, and multichannel communication.

• Live Chat: Resolve issues quickly and proactively sell, ensuring customers receive immediate assistance.
• Predefined Chatbot Strategies: Employ chatbots to address issues and boost sales, enhancing the overall customer experience.
• Cart Previews, Order History, Product Recommendations: Provide customers with personalized shopping experiences, improving their satisfaction and boosting sales.
• Easy Installation: Setting up live chat and chatbots is straightforward and can be accomplished in just a few minutes, allowing you to initiate conversations with your customers swiftly.
• Ticketing System: Manage and address customer requests efficiently through a simple ticketing system.

03. Build Trust with Your Customers

In the world of online shopping, trust is a precious commodity. Due to security concerns, many customers need help to provide their card details at the checkout page, leading to cart abandonment. 

One effective way to build trust and reassure your customers is by displaying trust badges prominently on your Shopify website. These badges communicate that your website is safe and equipped with an encrypted payment gateway, effectively preventing hacking and fraudulent activities.

To implement trust badges, you can use the ShopClimb ‑ Trust Badges app, which allows you to enable trust badges, especially on your checkout page.

Key Features:

• Increase Sales and Conversions: You can boost sales and drive higher conversion rates by displaying payment icons and trust badges that customers recognize and trust.
• Build Trust Quickly: In online shopping, you have a limited window to build trust with potential buyers. Trust badges are among the most proven methods to establish trust during the customer’s sales journey.
• Multiple Design Options: The app offers various designs, ensuring you can select the correct payment badges that fit seamlessly with your restaurant’s website.
• Geolocation Awareness: Trust badges are geolocation-aware, meaning customers will see the local payment options they trust most, further enhancing their confidence in purchasing.
• Simple Setup: The app provides a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface that requires no coding expertise. You can easily install trust badges and customize their placement to align with your restaurant’s branding and design.

04. Have Efficient Order Automation

Managing food orders efficiently can be complex, especially when using the standard Shopify dashboard. To streamline order management and delivery processes for restaurant owners, there’s a dedicated Shopify app called Foodee.

This app is designed exclusively to assist restaurant businesses in handling their food orders more effectively. Here’s how it can benefit your restaurant:

• Specialized Restaurant Management Dashboard: Foodee provides a specialized restaurant management dashboard tailored to the unique needs of restaurant store owners. This dashboard offers a clear and organized view of current orders, highlighting incoming orders and their specific items.
• Efficient Order Processing: With the “Foodee” dashboard, your team can efficiently manage and process food orders, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery to your customers.
• Onboarding for Online Orders: The app’s onboarding process helps configure your store correctly based on your chosen delivery methods (in-store pickup or local delivery), reducing the risk of customers placing orders that cannot be fulfilled.

05. Master Onsite Optimization

When transitioning your restaurant business to the online sphere, retaining some key management features from your physical storefront is essential. One such feature is the ability for customers to leave tips. You can accomplish this by using the Tip Cup app. Here’s how it can enhance your online restaurant experience:

• Compatibility with Payment Providers: The app is compatible with various third-party payment providers, including PayPal, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. This versatility ensures customers can leave cashless tips using their preferred payment method.
• Customization and Design: You can easily customize the design of the tip cup to align with your restaurant’s branding and storefront aesthetics. This ensures a cohesive and visually appealing experience for your customers.
• Upsell and Donation Options: Beyond tips, “Tip Cup” enables you to make upsell offers or accept donations by customizing the wording and messaging. This versatility allows you to explore additional revenue streams and support charitable causes if desired.

SEO for Shopify Restaurants: Boost Your Visibility

Implementing effective SEO for Shopify restaurants is crucial for standing out in the competitive food industry. Here are key restaurant SEO strategies to improve your visibility:

1. Optimize Menu Item Titles and Descriptions
   • Include relevant keywords like “house-made pasta” or “authentic Thai cuisine” in your product titles and descriptions
   • Add JSON-LD structured data to help search engines understand your menu items and display rich snippets
2. Create Location-Specific Content
   • If you have multiple locations, create separate pages for each one with local search optimization
   • Include your city and neighborhood in page titles, meta descriptions, and content
3. Optimize Images
   • Use descriptive, keyword-rich file names and alt text for all food images
   • Implement image optimization techniques to compress photos without sacrificing quality
4. Collect and Showcase Reviews
   • Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Shopify store
   • Implement structured data for reviews to enhance search result appearance
5. Blog About Your Restaurant
   • Create content about special events, seasonal menu changes, and behind-the-scenes stories
   • Target long-tail keywords relevant to your cuisine and location
6. Monitor Performance with Google Search Console
   • Track keyword rankings and click-through rates
   • Identify and fix technical SEO issues that could impact visibility
   • Analyze search queries to discover new content opportunities
7. Mobile Optimization
   • Ensure your site passes Google’s mobile-friendly test
   • Focus on fast loading times for mobile users

Conclusion

This article has provided insights into how Shopify can help restaurants succeed by leveraging online ordering, marketing tools, and streamlined management. I recommend focusing on building an engaging online presence and optimizing your store for customer convenience to make the most out of Shopify’s features.

FAQs: Shopify Restaurants